Crime
Big day of court sentences
Thursday 8 September 2011 | Published in Crime
Chief Justice Tom Weston will this morning sentence five defendants on charges including rape, cultivation of cannabis, careless driving causing injury and possession of drug paraphernalia. The sentencing is due to begin in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua from 9am. A 31-year-old Mangaian builder has admitted raping a woman on the southern group […]
PSC looks into justice staffing
Thursday 8 September 2011 | Published in Crime
Public service commissioner Navy Epati has requested a full briefing of the situation at the Ministry of Justice, which currently has nine staff vacancies. Epati says he has asked acting justice secretary Alex Henry to provide him with a comprehensive brief on the facts relating to those vacancies and he expects an answer by the […]
Time running out to engage top lawyer
Tuesday 6 September 2011 | Published in Crime
Operation Eagle defendants Mark Franklin and Scott Arlander have two weeks to make a court application for top New Zealand lawyer Barry Hart to be allowed to work in the Cook Islands as their legal representative. Franklin, a former high-ranking New Zealand police officer and former Cook Islands police officer, faces four criminal charges of […]
Case may require three separate trials
Tuesday 6 September 2011 | Published in Crime
It is possible up to three separate court trials may be held in the Operation Eagle case. Chief Justice Tom Weston discussed potential handling of the case with crown prosecutors and defence counsel in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua yesterday. One possibility is for Giovanni Marsters, Inano Matapo and Sam Tangaroa to be […]
Another acquittal
Saturday 3 September 2011 | Published in Crime
Matavera resident Francis Dashwood has been found not guilty, by a jury, of possessing cannabis. The verdict in his defended case was announced in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua yesterday and accordingly the matter before Chief Justice Tom Weston was dismissed. Dashwood, a 28-year-old farm labourer, has maintained his innocence in respect of […]
Staff unhappy with remuneration Short
Saturday 3 September 2011 | Published in Crime
Former justice secretary Mark Short says he will help Ministry of Justice employees lobby for pay increases if asked. At present the ministry has nine vacancies, including that of justice secretary, and Cook Islands News understands some are the result of disgruntled long-serving employees resigning after being refused adequate remuneration. Short says when he was […]
Jury to deliver verdict
Friday 2 September 2011 | Published in Crime
A verdict in the criminal court case against Matavera 28-year-old Francis Dashwood is expected to be decided by a jury in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua today. Dashwood, a farm labourer, denies one charge of possessing cannabis at Matavera on April 30 last year. A defended hearing before Chief Justice Tom Weston and […]
Judge tells ministry to get a move on
Thursday 1 September 2011 | Published in Crime
A man charged with two counts of rape, indecent assault and threatening to kill is still waiting to hear whether he is eligible for legal aid, more than eight months after applying to the Ministry of Justice. The man, whose name is suppressed, appeared in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua before Chief Justice […]
Jury lets man off three charges
Thursday 1 September 2011 | Published in Crime
A jury of eight women and four men has acquitted a man on three charges including theft and possession of cannabis. The jury gave its decision, including a guilty verdict on one charge of possessing drug paraphernalia, after deliberating in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua yesterday. This followed a two-day defended hearing before […]
Indecent assault plea may change
Thursday 1 September 2011 | Published in Crime
The 17-year-old Panama resident facing a charge of indecently assaulting a six-year-old girl may plead guilty to the offence. Ngatokoa Teao appeared in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua before Justice of the Peace Bernice Manarangi last week. Defence counsel Norman George asked for a further adjournment in the case, on the basis his […]
Man wants to change plea on theft charge
Tuesday 30 August 2011 | Published in Crime
The criminal case against Walter Strickland has been adjourned for three weeks because he might want to change his plea of guilty to one charge of theft. Strickland appeared before Justices of the Peace John Kenning, Tauei Solomon and Tekeu Framhein in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua last week. He was to be […]
Teen stole from houses she cleaned
Tuesday 30 August 2011 | Published in Crime
For stealing cash and cellphones from houses she was cleaning commercially, 19-year-old Rangi Vakatini has been convicted and sentenced to 12 months probation, with the first three months to be served on community service. The unemployed Arorangi resident appeared in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua for sentencing by Justices of the Peace John […]
Stolen wheel returned
Tuesday 30 August 2011 | Published in Crime
For stealing the back wheel of his neighbours motorcycle, a 19-year-old Matavera resident will appear in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua on February 22 next year. Tarapi Samuel will either be sentenced or discharged without conviction, depending on whether he reoffends in the meantime. He appeared in the court on Wednesday for sentence […]
Foreign worker detained on bank theft charge
Tuesday 30 August 2011 | Published in Crime
A foreign worker has been ordered to stay in the Cook Islands, facing a charge of stealing $1120 from the Westpac bank. Leelesh Chandar appeared in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua on Thursday (August 25) before Justice of the Peace Bernice Manarangi. It was the first time his case has been called in […]
Judge and jury trial underway
Tuesday 30 August 2011 | Published in Crime
A judge and jury trial is underway in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua, for the case against a man charged with possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia as well as theft. Sean Brown denies the four charges against him which relate to his alleged possession of cannabis, a utensil used to smoke cannabis, and […]
Trust fund explained
Monday 29 August 2011 | Published in Crime
Landowners whose assets were once bound up in the Enuamanu Land Incorporation should have claimed their shares when the company was liquidated. The incorporations trust fund still contains a hefty sum of unclaimed monies. According to Atiu resident Juergen Manske-Eimke, who prepared the incorporations accounts for submission to the High Court as a condition of […]
New acting secretary of justice
Monday 29 August 2011 | Published in Crime
Office of the Public Service Commissioner human resource manager Alex Henry has been appointed as acting justice secretary. Henry began work in his new acting capacity at the Ministry of Justice last Monday. Former acting secretary Claudine Henry-Anguna, the court registrar, is undertaking a training programme in Australia. Henry says his appointment as acting justice […]
Man admits charges
Monday 29 August 2011 | Published in Crime
The 28-year-old Matavera man found in possession of drugs and stolen property earlier this month has pleaded guilty to the seven charges he faces. Corey Nicholas, a driver, appeared in the Cook Islands District Court before Justice of the Peace Bernice Manarangi last Thursday.His case was called because a new charge of receiving stolen property […]
Court critical of two expulsions
Saturday 27 August 2011 | Published in Crime
A decision to expel two Nukutere College students after they climbed through an open window and entered an office at the school has been criticised by Justices of the Peace presiding over the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua. Former Nukutere College students William Brown and Munokoa Pita, both 16 years of age, appeared in […]
Man charged with over-purchase
Tuesday 23 August 2011 | Published in Crime
A man facing two charges in relation to the over-purchase of duty free goods is due to make his second appearance in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua on Thursday. The case against Michael Williams was first called in the court before justice of the peace Tui Short last week.No pleas have been entered […]
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