KEY POINTS:
The mother at the centre of a Housing New Zealand eviction hearing has asked three of her sons to move out, she told a tribunal today.
Sharon Salt's family have been accused of terrorising neighbours in Range View Road, in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert.
Mrs Salt broke down in tears as she read her affidavit to members of the media and supporters present.
"I've told the three older boys to stay away from home. Their friends are no longer welcome to my home. I only have the five younger children," she said.
She said her children who were still in school were doing well and that complaints from neighbours have stopped after she received a notice of remedy from Housing New Zealand.
"I've done all I can to better the boys and I ask the tribunal to consider the wider picture of my life," she said.
She said one of her sons appeared in the Auckland District Court on charges of aggravated robbery on Monday.
Mrs Salt also said her married son lives with his wife and is doing well at his job, while another is living with a partner.
Some neighbours of the Salts have complained of threats of violence and youth gang activity happening at the house.
But Mrs Salt claimed photos produced by some witnesses of alleged graffiti by her sons had been doctored and some witnesses had tried to film inside her house.
Mrs Salt detailed a number of her complaints made to the Police Complaints Authority that included allegations that the police helicopter had circled her house about 15 times this year and a police car had sounded its siren outside her house at 3am one morning before driving off.
She said 29 police officers had also turned up at the house to do a bail check with over ten cars and a wagon.
Mrs Salt said an altercation between one of her sons and the police took place after someone had thrown a bottle. Her son was arrested.
She said that although neighbours had complained of parties happening every week, there had only been one occasion when noise control was called and that was five years ago.
Earlier this morning the tribunal was closed after a witness appearing for Housing New Zealand would not give evidence with members of the public and media present. Mrs Salt was allowed to hear the witness.
Salt family lawyer John Foliaki said the media and public should not have been kept out of the hearing despite a fear of the witness about reprisals.
"You would have to be talking about a Mafia-sized sort of threat," Mr Foliaki said.
But he said at this stage the hearing had been fair.
Mrs Salt was due to be cross-examined by representatives of Housing New Zealand this afternoon.
