You threatened to shoot my niece, Donna Hall tells kidnapper

11.50am

Lawyer Donna Hall made an emotional plea for the return of her baby daughter today as she related at a press conference how a gunman threatened to kill her niece before snatching eight-month-old Kahurautete on Saturday.

"You know who you are and you know me. You put a rifle at my niece's head and told me you would shoot them if we didn't do what you wanted. You wanted the dog removed and then you took Kahurautete," Ms Hall said, addressing the unknown kidnapper during her conference at Lower Hutt police station.

"You can put this right now because if she's frightened and I'm very frightened, I would think that you would be frightened too.

"You can fix this problem for all of us by returning her to somewhere safe, with humanity. You can put right the wrong you have done to her and myself and my husband by wrapping her in a blanket and putting her somewhere safe and dry.

"You don't have to go to places where you might be frightened to go like a police station, or a post office. You can place her in a church. She's christened Anglican, I am Catholic but all denominations that care for children would accept this child," Ms Hall said.

Baby Kahurautete was snatched at gunpoint in St Alban's Grove, central Lower Hutt, just before 11.30am on Saturday as Ms Hall walked with her two nieces, aged 12 and 14.

"Kahurautete is very important to her father and me. She's a very special little girl. She's only eight months old, she can't talk, she can't walk and is not yet crawling but I think she is likely to crawl in the next week."

Kahurautete had "strong teeth" and was likely to bite if a finger was placed in her mouth.

A controlled Ms Hall related to reporters how she and husband High Court Justice Eddie Durie came to adopt Kahu.

"She was placed in my husband's and my home by my parents. Four and a half years ago we lost a child to spina bifida at 7-1/2 months in the pregnancy and at that time I though the world had ended.

"My family said if we ever had another child in the family she would be given a place with us. Last year God gave us a family."

Ms Hall said Kahurautete was the name of her husband's grandmother and she would be referred to as Kahu for her life.

"The only home she has known is the one she was taken from. She is a strong child... but she will be very frightened now just as I'm very frightened."

Ms Hall went through the baby's daily care regime in the hope the offender would watch and take notice to ensure Kahu was well fed and cared for.

She said Kahu needed everyday items such as nappies, milk formula, baby feed and Weetbix.

"I have stressed that Kahu cannot talk. (But) she does gurgle, she does chuckle and she's a very biddable, easily pleased child."

The offender could leave the baby somewhere safe that was not a threat to him, such as a church.

"She cannot identity you. You have nothing to be frightened of. You can only gain back your hunmanity.

"I'm asking you that you send her back to us."

Inquiry head Detective Inspector Stuart Wildon told assembled media that as time passed without word from the abductor, police were becoming increasingly concerned.

Mr Wildon said the fact that 48 hours had passed without contact from the abductor was a "concern."

"I would have like to have heard something by now from the man responsible for her abduction.

"As time passes we become more concerned for the baby's safety and the intentions of the offender."

However, Mr Wildon remained confident of the safe return of Kahu. The focus of the inquiry has been trying to trace the car used in the abduction. There has been one unconfirmed sighting.

Police had received more than 100 calls on an 0800 phone line from members of the public over recent hours and were continuing to go through the information.

Police were compiling a suspect list which was "growing", Mr Wildon added.

He was reluctant to divulge the words exchanged between Ms Hall and the gunman but did confirm a weapon was held to the head of one of Ms Hall's nieces.

- NZPA

Transcript: Donna Hall's statement

Full coverage: Baby Kahurautete kidnapping

Picture: Kahurautete Durie

Picture: Kahurautete's clothing

Picture: the car being sought by police

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