Gunman fires lawyer

The Kawerau siege gunman who shot four armed offenders squad members last year claims he’s a victim of kidnapping and the court has no jurisdiction to sentence him. Appearing via audio-visual link in the High Court at Tauranga yesterday, Rhys Richard Ngahiwi Warren, 28, fired his appointed defence lawyer, Ron Mansfield, and challenged the court’s right to sentence him. Justice Brewer cut the link to Warren before saying: ‘‘If he carries on this way he will have no meaningful input into the sentencing process. He must understand your role [Mansfield] is to assist me as a judge, not to act as counsel.’’ The sentencing date was moved to August 11.