Secret Tamihere witness identified

The jailhouse snitch who gave false evidence at David Tamihere’s double murder trial can now be revealed as convicted double murderer Roberto Conchie Harris.

Harris’s identity, which has been kept secret for nearly 30 years, was revealed after he dropped an appeal against his latest conviction. He was sentenced to eight years and seven months’ imprisonment by Justice Christian Whata late last year after he was found guilty of lying at Tamihere’s trial three decades ago.

He is already serving a life sentence for killing his cousin Martin Crossely and Crossely’s partner Carol Pye in February 1983.

Harris shot the pair at their Northland home and left their bodies for Pye’s young children to find. While in prison, he gave evidence at Tamihere’s double murder trial saying Tamihere had confessed to him he’d killed Swedish couple Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen.

He was one of the three jailhouse witnesses, known as A, B and C, who told the jury Tamihere had confessed to killing the pair.

Following Tamihere’s conviction, Harris recanted his evidence saying he had made up the evidence after striking a deal with police.

Last year, prisoner and jailhouse lawyer Arthur Taylor brought a private prosecution against Harris which was spearheaded by lawyer Murray Gibson.

In September, a two-week jury trial resulted in Harris being found guilty on nine counts of perjury.

However, Stuff was unable to name Harris until now because following his conviction he launched an appeal to retain name suppression.

Harris formally abandoned his appeal earlier this month, allowing the High Court to lift his suppression.

Since his murder conviction, Harris has been paroled twice and recalled both times.