Seven men plotted to murder, court told 

Seven men who bound and gagged a man and badly beat him with weapons hatched a plan to kill him, a court has been told.

Senior Sergeant Tony Rielly said in an opening address at the Rotorua District Court that the assaults and kidnappings stemmed from "perceived wrongdoings" by two alleged victims.

The men face a total of 46 charges relating to the kidnapping and beating of two men, conspiracy to commit the murder of one of them, and illegally using sawn-off shotguns.

The accused are Dick Tamai, Hori (George) Tamai, David Hill, Jason Batt, Daniel Noanoa, Jeffrey Irving and Luther Toleafoa.

Mr Rielly said all of the men, except Noanoa, were celebrating at a house in Rotorua overnight on Saturday August 6.

About 4.30am, one of the complainants arrived at the house to play pool. He was questioned by the men over the supposed wrongdoings, then beaten and assaulted and ordered to tell them where the other complainant was staying, the court heard.

The man was then taken against his will around Rotorua homes while being beaten, Mr Rielly said. When the other man was finally found, he too was taken against his will and transported to Dick Tamai's garage.

"They were told they were going to be taken into the bush and they were going to die," Mr Rielly said.

The second complainant was allegedly beaten with a firearm, golf club and bolt cutters. Noanoa then arrived at the garage and played an active role in the assault on both men, Mr Rielly said.

While the assaults were being inflicted, the group conspired to murder the second man, who was tied up with rope and had duct tape over his eyes and mouth, the court was told. The ordeal lasted about five hours.

The depositions hearing before Judge Paul Barber is expected to finish tomorrow.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)