Firearms charges?

[Swoop]

Tame Iti guilty of firearms charges

UPDATED 11.40am Friday June 30, 2006

Maori activist Tame Iti was found guilty of firearms charges in a reserved decision delivered in Rotorua District Court today.

After a week-long trial ended a fortnight ago, Judge Chris McGuire said he had to consider substantive issues of fact and law.

The prosecution has been seen as a test case on whether use of firearms for traditional Maori ceremonies is a crime under the Arms Act 1983.

Iti, a 55-year-old health worker, had pleaded not guilty to two charges of unlawfully possessing a shotgun at Ruatoki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty during a welcome for the Waitangi Tribunal last year to hear historic Tuhoe land claims.

Crown prosecutors had argued that Iti could not have had a lawful purpose for possessing the double-barrel shotgun he fired repeatedly during a re-enactment of the Crown's "scorched earth" policy of the 1860s because he did not hold a firearms licence.

But defence lawyers claimed the purpose need not be one that was expressly sanctioned by law. Tuhoe believed Iti was acting within their laws and under their direction.

Iti was fined $300 on each charge and ordered to pay $260 costs.
- NZPA



WHAT???
A piddly bloody fine for an unlicenced person, discharging a firearm in a public place!!!
What a crock!

[Sniper]

Its ridiculous. Watch any other New Zealander do that and there will be shit load more to pay than that.

[The_Dover]

Yeah, watch me get arse raped for exceeding a fucking speedlimit when I go to court.

Maybe I should discharge a firearm in there?

[MSTRS:Me]

Right - I'm off to get a tan and to change my name (Wiremu Hohepa sounds like a go)

[Colapop]

How is using a firearm traditional Maori culture? I was always (may any Maori correct me) under the impression that firearms were a European introduction...

[Sniper]

Wiremu Hohepa sounds like a go

Here a mu, there a mu, everywhere a mu mu

[Drum]

Cost to the taxpayer? $300K? $400K?.......

We sure showed him. I bet he respects us now.

[cruxis]

That seems fair and about right to me. Was not a big deal the media made it so.

I quite often like to shoot possums from the balcony of our batch during the summer hoildays. Next time tama should have a person nearby that holds a license. Since he dont have one. It get one himself.

[Colapop]

He can just get the Republic of Aoteoroa to issue him one, bro.

[Deano]

I believe the point that was raised was that Tuhoe had been doing it for years, in full view of the 'authorities' with no come backs until it was perhaps politically expedient to do so.

Not that I agree with it as I don't have all the info - perhaps the person discharging the firearm in the past had a licence ?

Having said that - is it legal to shoot the NZ flag ?

[Sniper]

Having said that - is it legal to shoot the NZ flag ?

Im under the impression that it is illegal to deface any flag regardless of whos. In the US its a felony.

[Biohazard]

RANT TIME ------- RANT RANT RANT RANT

WTF are you f*cking retarded Judges doing, you are all fat, child molesting retards...Stop being gay and being scared that you'll hurt someones feelings. Just because the Maori's were given a hard time years ago, you think you can make it up by letting them off with this and that, as you are worried about a back lash.

Put him in jail ffs - illegal use and discharge of a firearm in a public place. Bollocks to the religious/cult reason. STOP letting them hide and get away with it all.

Arrrggggghhhhhhhhhhh.....thats the only problem with the Country that and Helen Clarke is a pussy and to scared to stand up to anything.

BnP should open a sub-branch in Auckland, that'll put the cat umongst the pigeons

[SPman]

The only reason he was charged in the first place, is because he was Tama Iti!
But - the media just cant resist - they're easier to work into a frenzy than most of the people on here, and the police and pollys were happy to oblige!
What a waste of time and money.

[Goblin]

Right - I'm off to get a tan and to change my name (Wiremu Hohepa sounds like a go)

You'd have to scribble all over your face too

Anyone else would have been imprisoned for these charges. Reminded me of an old mate years ago...We had a night out on the town & Barry was totally off his trolly. We were driving around in a Morrie thou and stopped at a gas station to fuel up & Barry in his drunken state pulled a bright orange water pistol out and slurred "this is a stick-up" The attendant ran inside & grabbed a crowbar & threatened to smash us all! We tried to calm him down & point out that its a only a water pistol & the drunk doesnt even know what day it is, let alone want to rob you. Next thing the cops turn up & arrest him for Agravated armed robbery! He got 3 months! Thats justice for ya!

[sAsLEX]

What a waste of time and money.

So your saying we should of allowed him to flout this countries laws!? On national television showing the youths that take him as a role model, god help them, that doing this is fine!?

Where do you draw the line? Is it ok to shoplift? Is it ok to kill babies?