Five on trial for kidnapping, robbery

Five people who allegedly tortured the occupants of a house in Paihia, using a golf club, a serrated knife and a gas torch blower, to obtain information on the whereabouts of a couple, are on trial before Justice Grant Powell and a High Court jury at Whanga¯rei.

Paul Johnson (30), Frank Rota (42), Jason Williams (39), Maurice Reti (55) and Linton McIntyre (57) are jointly charged with four counts of kidnapping, three of injuring with intent to injure, two of aggravated robbery, and one of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

All except Reti, who are also charged with using a firearm in the commission of a crime, allegedly entered the house in March 2017, beat the three occupants and another person who arrived, and took electrical items with them when they left.

Crown solicitor Mike Smith told the jury that while he was an inmate at the Northland Region Corrections Facility at Nga¯wha Reti made a series of phone calls to people who he directed to locate his former partner and a Black Power gang member with whom she had formed a relationship.

The occupants of the house, who knew where the couple were and how to contact them, were held captive in the kitchen and lounge for around four hours, the intruders also demanding property, drugs, electrical items and money.

Reti’s lawyer, Wayne McKean, said his client had called upon his family to help protect his property and other items from his former partner and the gang member. What allegedly took place at the Paihia house was unrelated to the recovery of his property and other items.

“That wasn’t part of what he was up to,” he told the jury.

Rota, Williams and McIntyre admitted they were at the house but denied doing anything illegal. Johnson declined to make a statement to police.