There were dramatic scenes in court today when a man found guilty of shooting at police officers had to be pulled out of court by Corrections officers.
Rhys Warren was charged for shooting four police officers in a siege near Kawerau last year at the Hamilton High Court on Friday.
The 28-year-old tried to talk to Justice Tim Brewer after the verdict was read. After being turned down, he became agitated and struggled with multiple Corrections officers as they tried to pull him out of the courtroom.
He was found guilty of six charges: Two counts of attempted murder, three counts of using a firearm against law enforcement and a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Warren barricaded himself in his home during a 22-hour stand-off in March last year.
Constable Damian White, Constable Andrew Flinn, Constable Regan Mauheni, and Sergeant Logan Marsh were all shot at the rural address, which they used sledgehammers to enter.
Constable Regan Mauheni was hit in the head by shrapnel during the shootout, putting him in hospital for weeks - and off work for more than five months.
"My eyes were full of blood. I knew it was bad but not how bad at the time," he told the court.
Mr Mauheni's colleague Martyn Roe recalled entering the hallway and hearing a loud bang.
He told the court he saw Mr Mauheni fall "like kauri tree," with a large amount of blood on his face and he feared the worst.
At that point the siege became a rescue mission and the officers opened fire to provide cover.
- Kawerau siege accused's opening statement shut down
- Alleged Kawerau siege shooter refuses legal representation
Jesse Church, Warren's "McKenzie friend" - someone who can assist him with his defence, told Newshub he believes Justice Brewer was "biased," which echoes claims from Warren's opening statement.
He represented himself in the jury trial, and will be sentenced in May.
Newshub.
