Woman in hiding kills kidnap case

Kidnapping and assault charges have been thrown out ahead of a Christchurch man’s jury trial after the alleged victim – and key witness – went into hiding.

It was the second attempt to hold a jury trial involving the reluctant witness. She was found and arrested four days after an April trial for Anaru Turei Tamati Rangihuna was due to start, but by then that trial had been abandoned.

The woman was released on bail, and came to the Court House for a final call-over for the latest trial on July 6.

Since then she has disappeared and intensive police inquiries have not found her. She has charges of her own before the court and did not appear for them this week either. She now has three active warrants out for her arrest.

Judge Alistair Garland ruled that this week’s trial could not go ahead because the Crown could not present any evidence.

Rangihuna, 45, has been recalled to prison to serve more of an 11-year sentence for methamphetamine dealing charges because he was on parole at the time of the alleged kidnapping.

Judge Garland discharged him, effectively ruling out the 12 charges he was to face at trial: two of kidnapping, two of assaulting a woman, two of assault with intent to injure, threatening to kill, unlawful possession of a piston, two of assault with a weapon, indecent assault, and intentionally injuring her.

Rangihuna had served a sixand-a-half-year term after setting his dog on a man during an attack carried out by three people and then received a 11-year cumulative term for manufacturing and dealing in methamphetamine. He was released on parole in March 2015.

In October 2016, police issued a statement that he was dangerous and probably had a handgun, after the incident where it was alleged he pointed a gun at the woman’s head after she was kidnapped by two men and brought to his home.

Crown prosecutor Shivani Dayal said when the witness did not turn up at court this week, a warrant was issued.

Defence counsel Rupert Glover said in court on Tuesday that it was clear that the woman did not intend to give evidence against Rangihuna even if she could be found, and he suggested the Crown should not waste any more time on the prosecution.