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Offender Databases Tuhi Takiari

Tuhi Mervyn Takiari

Alias

.

Offences

Murder of Hamilton man Barry Charles Hyde in April 1997

Victims

Barry Charles Hyde

Offender Affiliations

Tai Takiari

Gang affiliations

Mongrel Mob

Age

Born 1970

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Convicted in July 1998, sentenced to life imprisonment
Eligible for parole from May 2007

Background
From Waikato Times story 30th July 1998
Two Hamilton brothers were today sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the murder of Kihikihi nurse aide Barry Hyde. A High Court jury found Tuhi Merv Takiari, 28, and Tai Teriroriro Takiari, 33, guilty of killing Mr Hyde, whose battered body was found in the Waikato River at Ngaruawahia on May 3 last year. Tai Takiari was found not guilty of a charge of unlawfully taking Mr Hyde's car. The jury returned just after 11.30am today, after retiring to consider its verdict at 2.30pm yesterday. Mr Hyde's two sisters broke down in tears and hugged each other when the verdicts were read out.

The Takiari brothers stood seemingly unmoved as they were sentenced by Justice Hammond. Their defence counsel indicated there was a strong likelihood of an appeal against the verdict. Summing up the case yesterday, Justice Hammond told the jury it would be "very dangerous" to convict Tai Takiari based on evidence from Crown witness Nicholas Matenga. "The danger is that he may have said what he did in the hope of more lenient treatment." Mr Matenga faced imprisonment for fraud but received a suspended sentence after a letter to the judge stating his co-operation with police. Justice Hammond also questioned the reliability of a secret witness and another witness who had to be recalled to court after he changed his story.

From Christchurch Press story 24th May 1999
HAMILTON -- The lawyer for one of two Hamilton brothers serving life for murder says the men are appealing against their convictions because the police withheld more than 300 documents. Roger Laybourn said Tuhi and Tai Takiari were denied a fair trial last July when a jury in the High Court in Hamilton found them guilty of murdering Kihikihi nurse aide Barry Hyde in 1997. He made an Official Information and Privacy Act request before the trial, asking the police for "all official and personal information" relating to his client Tuhi Takiari. But nine months after the trial Mr Laybourn discovered police had not handed over 343 of the investigation documents.

"A substantial miscarriage of justice has arisen," he said. Acting CIB chief Detective Senior Sergeant Bruce Raffan said the police were not required to hand over copies of entire investigation files to defence lawyers. He said they were often impractical to photocopy, because of the sheer volume of paper work. He believed the Takiari appeal might give the police more specific direction on what to hand over to defence lawyers. Mr Laybourn said among the 343 documents handed over were statements of witnesses not called by the prosecution that could have affected the trial's outcome.

Some of the statements were from witnesses who were at a party on April 29, 1997, attended by the Takiari brothers, where Mr Hyde, 41, was last seen alive. It was alleged the Takiaris dumped the Tokanui nurse aide's body in the Waikato River after they attended a party he was at in Fairfield. Mr Raffan said the police were obliged to disclose documents which related to witnesses being called by the Crown. The police would also provide a list of the names and addresses of all people spoken to as part of a police investi gation along with documents "that could give evidence favourable to the defence". Mr Laybourn said it was inappropriate for the prosecution to decide what was useful to the defence. The Takiari brothers' case goes to appeal on June 22.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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