A trio of gang members are on trial for the murder of an 82-year-old man after they allegedly started three fires using Molotov cocktails as part of an initiation ceremony
Ian David Moller died due to smoke inhalation five days after the fire (Image: Family Handout)
An 82-year-old pensioner who died after a fire was started in his block of flats was allegedly the victim of a gang initiation gone wrong.
Prosecutors state that three gang members used Molotov cocktails to start fires on three separate occasions in order to earn patches from the notorious Manga Kaha motorcycle gang.
On different nights in October and November 2024 multiple gang members allegedly travelled to the block of flats in order to start fires using the Molotov cocktails. While on the previous two occasions the blaze was either dealt with by firefighters or put out by rain, on the gang’s third attempt they successfully managed to ignite a storage unit on the property, according to the prosecution.
(Image: Google Maps)
While the suspects allegedly fled the scene, smoke from the fire subsequently filled a flat belonging to 82-year-old pensioner Ian David Moller, who was described by police as “an elderly man who deserved to live out his last years in a safe place, in the heart of the community he loved”.
Tragically, despite being rushed to hospital by first responders, Moller passed away five days later from complications caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from inhaling the smoke.
Prosecutors allege that the fire was by Mangu Kaha gang members Arden Neho, Reardon Kamaru and Henare Barber, who face charges of both murder and arson. Barber is also accused of directing the attacks.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Police say that evidence obtained from phones confiscated during the arrest of the three men points to the trio planning the three alleged arson attacks.
A fourth man, Shyheim Aiga, has already reportedly pleaded guilty in relation to the first two fires and will be sentenced separately, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald.
The trio have pleaded not guilty to the charges, with defence lawyers reportedly asking the jury to keep an open mind, with Kamaru’s lawyer Marty Robinson telling the jury, “whatever you think of them, a patch is not a fingerprint, it doesn’t tie a person to a fire, it doesn’t light a match in their hand or start a fire”.
The three men are allegedly members of the Mangu Kaha, or Black Power gang
It is not clear why this specific block of flats was allegedly targeted, nor has it been suggested that there was any connection between the three victims and the suspects
The trial is expected to last five weeks.
