Stokes Valley shooting: Pair accused of murdering Rawiri Wharerau appear in court

There was a strong police presence at Gisborne District Court this afternoon as two of the three people accused of murdering Lower Hutt man Rawiri Wharerau and attempting to murder his brother Hemi appeared in court for the first time.

A 33-year-old East Coast man and a 22-year-old Stokes Valley woman appeared in the dock separately, each charged with murder, attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Judge Turitea Bolstad granted each of them interim name suppression and further remanded them in custody without plea. She scheduled them to appear next at a Crown fixture in the High Court at Wellington on February 8.

Suppression will be revisited at that hearing.

Several people among a large group of the pair’s relatives in court to support them cried during the appearances.

As each of the accused was led back down to the court holding cells, their supporters farewelled them, many yelling: “Love you my cuzz.”

One woman yelled to the female accused that her baby was “alright” and “was with his nanny”.

Rawiri Zane Wharerau, 39, and brother Hemi, 41, were shot at their home address in Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt, during a family member’s 50th birthday party in the early hours of Saturday, December 16, last year.

Rawiri Zane Wharerau and brother Hemi were shot at their home address in Stokes Valley in December. Photo / Georgina Campbell

Rawiri died at the address while his brother was transported to hospital in a critical condition.

The 22-year-old woman in court today was further charged with assaulting Hemi Wharerau using a firearm as a weapon.

They were arrested in Gisborne yesterday, along with a Hutt Valley man, whose case wasn’t called in court today.

A 53-year-old woman has also been charged with being an accessory after the fact. She did not appear in court today.

Announcing the arrests yesterday, Detective Inspector Haley Ryan praised the work of police throughout Wellington during the six-week investigation that led to the arrests.

She also thanked the Stokes Valley community and whānau members for their assistance with inquiries.

Detective Inspector Ryan confirmed Rawiri Wharerau was a patched member of Mangu Kaha — a gang associated with Black Power.