Source: New Zealand Police
To be attributed to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Darren Pritchard:
Three Wairoa men are before the courts following three separate, unrelated incidents in the town over the weekend.
The first incident occurred in Ruataniwha Road at around midday on Saturday 17 May, when a man allegedly presented a firearm.
Soon after, officers located the man in a vehicle and arrested him. The 50-year-old man subsequently appeared in Gisborne District Court, facing several firearms and drug-related charges.
The second incident was a house fire in Frasertown at around 7.30pm on Saturday. The house was totally destroyed and was determined to be suspicious.
A 37-year-old man was arrested on Monday 19 May and charged with arson. He was scheduled to appear in Gisborne District Court today.
The third incident was a report of gunshots being fired in the Clyde Domain, followed by a serious crash on Kopu Road in the early hours of Sunday morning (19 May).
The crash claimed the life of the driver and a passenger sustained minor injuries. That passenger, a 27-year-old man, was subsequently arrested and charged with firearms-related offending. He is scheduled to appear in Wairoa District Court on 25 May.
Police will continue to make enquiries into the crash – and the events leading up to the crash – on behalf of the Coroner. Our sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the deceased driver.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre.
