The kiwis know how to do a good shootoutFollow

Unlike the recent boring copy-cat shootings in schools from the West, the good old kiwis can handle a shootout like real men.


http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/6855071/shootout-at-lake-rotoiti-attackers-were-just-pussies/




The man targeted in a pitched battle at his lakeside home north of Rotorua in late 2008 told a lawyer in the High Court in Rotorua today that his attackers were "girl guides" .

Alec Tuhoro also called his opponents a "***** army" and added it felt good to take them out, adding he did it with just a four-wheel drive and "a good clear head".

Mr Tuhoro was testifying on the second day of the trial of three men charged with his attempted murder.

Shane Epapara, 23, Daniel Pirret, 27 and Michael Mihaka, 22, are alternatively charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause previous bodily harm.

Hareopa (Harry) Katene, 47, and his son Eria, 23, pleaded guilty to the firearms charge when the trial began on Wednesday. The attempted murder charge against them was dropped.

Cross-examined this afternoon by Epapara's lawyer Craig Horsley, Mr Tuhoro agreed three groups of shots had been fired when Harry Katene, his brother-in-law, and others arrived on his property at Hauparu Bay on September 27, 2008.

The first was when Harry Katene's vehicle approached his, the second when he rammed Katene's truck and the third after Katene had run off.

"I saw the gun coming over the fence . . . a few more random shots were fired."

Mr Tuhoro said it felt pretty good to "take out the ***** army". Asked what he meant by that he responded, "Girl Guides".

He explained further.

"They came up to take me and [my son] Shannon out and they lost. It felt good to beat guys with weapons and guns when all I had was a four-wheel drive and a good, clear head."

He said he knew Katene senior would have people with him "because he always does . . he can't do it himself."

Earlier in today's hearing, Mr Tuhoro testified he was in Taranaki the day of the fracas and had a call from his son Shannon.

"Because Harry was threatening my son I decided to come home and deal to him."

Once at Rotoiti he called Katene senior in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"He told me to get f****d... 'I am coming down to shoot you and your son'."

Although there had not been trouble between them previously it was a threat he took very seriously and went outside and sat in is truck "waiting for Harry's attack".

A short time later he saw lights coming up his driveway.

"Harry was driving, he stopped and pointed his gun out the window towards my truck. He called out 'come on then Alec' then bang, bang, bang, bang . . . he just let the gun rip."

Mr Tuhoro said he started his truck and rammed Katene's vehicle twice. "He brought the gun around and fired again. I heard the shots bouncing off my truck there were between six and seven of them."

He is to give further evidence.

Mr Tuhoro's wife Katarina also testified today. She told about seeing two trucks, the first driven by her brother Harry, coming up the driveway.

After her husband rammed the truck she saw her son Shannon having a go at someone.

"I ran over, a metal bar had fallen out of the truck and I hit someone with it, I don't know who, then I just ran because the shooting started again."

Mihaka's lawyer, Moana Dorset, suggested that what went on that day had nothing to do with Mihaka.

Mr Tuhoro said Mihaka had chosen to come to his house fully equipped and as part of Harry's army.

Hamilton security officer Stanley Knuth said at the time of the affair, he'd been living in front of the Tuhoro home.

He'd been weeding when Harry Katene pulled up that day.

"He said to me that my family and I were going out later that afternoon. I said 'no' and he stressed it again that we were going out. I kind of clicked he didn't want me around."

Mr Knuth said he had been aware of problems between Harry Katene and Shannon Tuhoro and assumed Katene was going to come around and have it out with Shannon - possibly come to blows.

He took his family into town.
The trial, before a jury of six men and six women, is estimated to continue into the middle of next week.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the three armed men that got chased off by a guy in a truck Kiwis too?

The only conclusion I can draw from this is that there are three times as many gutless, crotchtaco Kiwis as there are brave, resourceful Kiwis.