Alleged shooter appears in court
The man accused of shooting a Wellington taxi driver will have his mental state assessed by the courts.
Dylan Nuku, 26, did not plead to one charge of wounding taxi driver Alem Tesema with intent to cause grievous bodily harm when he appeared before Wellington District Court judge Bruce Davidson yesterday.
He did not make an application for bail or name suppression.
The judge ordered a forensic screening report to assess fitness to stand trial and insanity. Nuku was remanded in custody until January.
Tesema was shot in the right shoulder after picking up a man – alleged to be Nuku – and a woman about 9pm on Saturday and taking them from Courtenay Place to Stone St in Miramar.
Tesema drove off after being shot with a small, low-calibre pistol. He found help at a nearby service station and was taken to hospital.
The taxi driver, who has lived in Wellington for 20 years after leaving his native Ethiopia, is now recovering at home.
In a statement yesterday morning, police said Nuku was found overnight in the suburb of Strathmore, near the scene of the shooting on Stone St.
Tesema said he woke up to a text message from police saying an arrest had been made. The news made him feel a bit better, but he was still concerned for his safety.
‘‘It’s not just him, it’s the lady as well. I don’t know if police got the lady,’’ Tesema said.
He still did not want to return to driving a taxi.
‘‘No. A taxi is not safe any more, my friend. I’m done for this. I can’t decide anything to do really.’’
Police said the investigation into the shooting was continuing, and they would still like to hear from anyone who has information.
Wellington Police can be contacted on (04) 381 2000 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.