Horizons candidate on charges

A man standing for regional council launched an expletiveridden rant while defending charges of threatening to kill.

Philip Taueki will stand for Horizons Regional Council in the Horowhenua ward at October’s election, despite his tense relationship with the council, which includes trespassing its members from his iwi’s land.

He faces two charges of threatening to kill and one of threatening behaviour.

The charges were laid after a Ma¯ori Land Court hearing on May 17, last year, about an injunction to stop the council from building a boat ramp at Lake Horowhenua.

At a court appearance in the Levin District Court yesterday, Taueki said the charges were ‘‘b ..... ’’ and that the witnesses had lied.

Taueki has successfully appealed more than 30 cases against him and he threatened to take this one to the Supreme Court if the Crown didn’t drop the charges.

Taueki was bailed until his next hearing next month.