Not guilty pleas after armed standoff

A man has appeared in court in relation to an 11-hour armed seige which played out in Taranaki at the weekend.

Simon Keith Beatty has been in custody since the Sunday incident, which began about 10.15am and came to an end about 9pm when tear gas was fired into a Spotswood, New Plymouth, house. Sporting a black eye, the

31-year-old appeared before Judge Gregory Hikaka at New Plymouth District Court yesterday.

Through his counsel, defence lawyer Josie Mooney, he entered not guilty pleas to five charges relating to the incident and elected a trial by jury.

Beatty has been charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm, presenting a firearm, two counts of threatening to kill and one of breaching bail conditions.

Beatty was remanded back into custody and ordered to reappear in court on April 11 for a case review hearing.

He is also scheduled to appear in on February 28 for sentencing on unrelated charges.

The armed police stand-off began when officers, including members of the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS), converged on a house at the intersection of Paritutu Rd and Marama Crescent, near Port Taranaki. Nearby residents were told to stay inside while the drama unfolded.

At one stage, AOS members could be seen approaching the house behind a bullet-proof shield. Cordons in place around the area were lifted around

9.35pm on Sunday.