The misery of Marie
in prison, so combined with his age and criminal history, Hohua had to convince a judge he should be released on bail.
Hohua had 73 convictions and 48 jail sentences, many for burglary or car theft, dating to 1997.
A further 17 offences were committed on bail.
In opposing bail, police pointed out Hohua was named in three police safety orders, each forcing him to leave home for several days to protect Marie from further violence.
Near the top of Hohua’s long criminal history was a conviction for common assault against Marie the previous year.
But this wasn’t drawn to Bidois’ attention. In fact, in granting bail, the judge erroneously noted in Hohua’s favour that his previous conviction for violence was in 2005.
“Your history of non-compliance with court orders is poor. Breach of intensive supervision, driving while disqualified but you do not have a history of significant violence that we see.”
And with that, Hohua was released to live with a relative on Windsor St, less than 1km from Marie.
“These are serious charges, Mr Hohua,” said Bidois. “You put one foot wrong you will be in the can.”
Five weeks later, the police were called back to Wellington St. Again, police opposed bail but Bidois gave him another chance.
“I am not sure what is going to happen to you, Mr Hohua, but I do know one thing,” he said. “You breach your bail, you touch her, you see her again and you will be going to jail.”
Five days later, Marie was dead.
Hohua simply ignored every condition of his bail — not to go within 100m of where Marie lived; not to contact her; not to drink or do drugs; an overnight curfew.
Instead, on the night he killed Marie, Hohua went to her home where they drank and smoked cannabis with four other people. It was a Tuesday night, November 22, 2016.
Worried about his curfew, Hohua went back to Windsor St just before 7pm. He took Vivienne, by then 19 months old.
But worried Marie was being unfaithful, Hohua walked back to Wellington St, pushing the toddler in a stroller.
When she didn’t answer his jealous questions, Hohua flew into a rage. He punched, kicked and stomped her to death over 20 minutes.
When the police called Vicki around midnight she assumed she was the one in trouble.
But no, the call was about her sister. The officer asked if Vicki was sitting down and had someone with her.
“He said, ‘We’ve got some bad news . . . your sister has been murdered’,” says Vicki through tears.
“I was screaming and yelling. I don’t remember what they were saying, my mind was gone. I couldn’t sleep.”
Beneath a deep grief for the loss of her closest sibling lies guilt.
As someone who untangled herself from a violent relationship, with the help of a friend, Vicki can’t help but feel she could have done more for her sister.
But she has questions, too, over what government and social welfare agencies could and should have done.
Why didn’t someone join the dots between a history of abuse and violence, police callouts, Child Youth and Family alerts?
Why did Corrections fail to detect Marie was living with Hohua while on home detention?
And why did Bidois let Hohua out on bail, twice?
Chief District Court Judge JanMarie Doogue declined to comment on the bail decision. Each judge is independent and their rulings speak for themselves.
Child, Youth and Family (CYF) has been replaced by the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki. The ministry confirmed CYF was “working with the mother at the time of her death around keeping her and her child safe” but declined to comment on details of the case, in the best interests of Vivienne.
However, Bay of Plenty manager Tayelva Petley said staff are sharing “critical information” with other agencies as part of the ongoing change at the new ministry.
As for the monitoring of Marie’s home detention, Corrections said probation officers reported there was “no sign of Hohua at the premises during visits”.
Vicki: “Everybody knew.”
Ultimately, though, it is Rob Hohua who has blood on his hands. The 36-year-old was this week convicted of murder after a trial in the High Court at Tauranga.
His defence was that he didn’t mean to kill Marie, ignorant the beating would likely kill her, so was guilty only of manslaughter.
Little evidence was disputed; the key issue was what was in his mind at the time of the fatal assault.
But with the guilty verdict, after four hours of deliberation, it seems the jury agreed with the closing comments of the crown prosecutor Aaron Perkins, QC.
“Fearsome” was his single word to describe the violence. Sitting in the back of Courtroom 3 most days was Vicki Harlick, often too upset to stay and listen to the disturbing details. On hearing the single word “guilty”, she let out a single word: Yes.
Then, thank you, to the jury as they were discharged.
The verdict is of little consolation to Marie’s daughters. But it means Vicki can fulfil a promise.
Her sister is buried in an urupa on a hill in Waihau Bay, where Bay of Plenty meets the Gisborne district.
One side of the burial ground faces scrub-covered hills, a white picket fence keeping long grass and blackberry at arm’s length.
On the other side is the sea. When we visited in August Vicki pointed to a spot where Marie used to swim and teach her children to dive for seafood.
“Mush was awesome at that sort of stuff. She was a beautiful girl . . . just like this place,” says Vicki.
Marie loved animals too, as her kids do. All her daughters are well, says Vicki, especially Vivienne, despite the trauma of witnessing her mother’s death.
“I miss you so much. I just want to let you know, I’m so sorry, I wish I was there,” Vicki tells her sister at the gravesite.
“Next time I’m coming back with some good news, justice for you and for your kids.
“Then we can put you to rest.”