TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 DUMPED COVID-19: CARS • Two new South African strain cases in Auckland • ‘There appears to be something at the Pullman Hotel’ COSTING • Aucklanders urged to ‘scan, scan, scan’ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Northland Covid case has fully recovered PAGES PAGES 19-22 COMMUNITY • Global cases pass 100 million mark 6-7, 11, 15 PAGE 3 35.0 SUMMER SCORCHER: Tom Briant, 5 (left), Max Egan, 8, Harry Briant, 7, and Reuben Walsh, 8, cool off at Waikanae Beach yesterday as the mercury hit a high of 35 degrees — Gisborne’s hottest day of the year so far. The temperature was expected to be only slightly cooler today with MetService forecasting a high of 33. More on yesterday’s heat on page 2. Picture by Liam Clayton Escalating tension Police fear it will not take much for ‘something to go badly wrong’ POLICE have expressed concerns over not appear to be linked, police said. Prosecutor Brendan Mills opposed Aupouri, 31, who was on electronically- escalating gang tensions as several men There have been other recent incidents all the applications, saying police were monitored bail at the house, appeared charged following incidents involving in Wairoa where firearms have been concerned the incidents happened in in court after being arrested Saturday firearms appeared yesterday in Gisborne presented but not discharged. “a climate of escalating gang tension” morning. District Court. Police this week upped their presence and that it “would not take much for He was charged with being in Two of those incidents — one in Edison in the town and were authorised to something to go badly wrong”. possession of an offensive weapon — a Street, Gisborne, on Saturday morning, temporarily carry firearms. If bail was granted, police wanted machete — during the incident. the other in Lucknow Street, Wairoa, on Five men yesterday appeared in strict conditions imposed, including Aupouri, represented by counsel Vicki Monday — involved two men being shot in Gisborne District Court in relation to the 24-hour curfews and orders forbidding the Thorpe, claimed in court the rival gang the leg. recent incidents. defendants from associating with others group went uninvited to the street and A 21-year-old man was shot in the Two were allegedly involved in the involved and other gang members, Mr had firearms. The group wrongly accused Edison Street incident and taken to Edison Street incident and three were Mills said. him of burgling the home of one of their Gisborne Hospital on Saturday morning. said to have been involved in the Wairoa The Gisborne incident reportedly associates — something he could not have A man in his 30s presented himself to incidents. involved a large group of Mongrel Mob done given he was on EM-bail. Wairoa Hospital on Monday night. Judge Philip Recordon granted four of associates converging on a property at Judge Recordon readmitted Aupouri to Each of the men are reported to be in a them bail to addresses in other centres. Edison Street where the 21-year-old was EM-bail, remanding him without plea on stable condition. He further remanded one in custody by shot. the charge. The incidents were gang-related but did consent for a bail application today. On Monday, Black Power man Tuahae CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ..............9 The Guide .... 19-22 Racing ...............27 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............10 Television ...........23 Sport ............ 28-32 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ...6-8, 15, 18 World............ 11-13 Classifieds ... 24-26 Weather .............31 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, January 28, 2021 HOT ENOUGH FOR YA? HER HAPPY PLACE: Elsie Jones rides a wave on her body board. TAR-MELTING, swelteringly hot but not low at around 38 percent mid-afternoon. not go below 20 all night, dropping to a our hottest. While yesterday was the hottest day of “low” of 21.2 at 5am. The district’s official maximum the year so far, as recently as January In good news for those seeking the temperature recorded by MetService last year was hotter. beach for relief, the water temperature at Gisborne Airport yesterday was 35 The maximum January temperature has reached a comfortable 20 degrees. degrees between 2pm and 3pm. for Gisborne in 2020 was 37.1 degrees But the downside of being outdoors However, around the city, private recorded on the 31st. are the extreme ultraviolet levels being gauges, including several in the shade at The all-time record for January was pumped out by the sun. Makaraka, had readings of around 37. set on the 11th in 1979 when the red line Yesterday’s scorcher saw the UVI Reports of the mercury topping the reached an official 38.1. (ultraviolet index) hit 13.2 at 1.30pm — 40-degree mark came from several inland However, it has been hotter than meaning light or fair skin types burn locations — from people working in the yesterday several times in recent years. within 15 minutes. bush, and in enclosed valleys such as On February 2, 2011, Gisborne sweated Another warm one was expected today down Riverside Road. through a 36.3-degree day, while January with a forecast high of 33 degrees . A Facebook post by a shearer at 7, 1999, was also a sticky one at 36.8. And for those looking for some rain, Tangihanga Station at Waituhi said it One of the worst aspects of yesterday’s MetService offers the possibility of was 42 degrees in the wool shed at sizzler was the heat lasting through the showers tomorrow and Saturday when lunchtime. night, making sleep nigh-on impossible the temperature is predicted to reach a One saving grace for those laid low by for some. high of 19 and 18 respectively over the the heat was that humidity levels stayed At 10pm it was still 25 degrees and did two days. — RH THREE’S COMPANY: Rora Richardson LAST OUT OF THE WATER’S AN EGG: But it with her dogs Tutuu and Subee. was not long before these likely lads were back in the ocean on a day when the temperature hit 35 degrees and even higher in inland areas. Pictures by Liam Clayton and Rebecca Grunwell LOOKING AHEAD Get your SPORTS Gisborne Herald • Bikes take centre stage at Gisborne home-delivered Speedway Club’s Law/Cartmell Memorial 30th anniversary meeting. • DJ Barry Cup club cricket continues. • Gisborne could be a volleyball powerhouse, says a top coach. • The latest in national and international sport. FOCUS ON THE LAND TOMORROW SATURDAY The Gisborne Herald, 64 Gladstone Road, P.O. Box 1143, Gisborne • Phone (06) 869 0600 • Fax (Editorial) (06) 869 0643 (Advertising) (06) 869 0644 Editor: Jeremy Muir • Chief Reporter: Andrew Ashton • Circulation: Cara Haines • Sports: Jack Malcolm/John Gillies To fi nd out more call 869 0620 e-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] • web site: www.gisborneherald.co.nz The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, January 28, 2021 NEWS 3 Facing multiple charges Busy 2020 for FROM PAGE 1 associate with co-offenders were Tyreece Kohe-Davis, 18, (including Donnelly), the Peta Gemmell, 23, and Cayde The two men who appeared alleged victims or any other Culshaw, 19. ambos despite yesterday before the judge gang members. Kohe-Davis was bailed in relation to the Gisborne He was also forbidden to to a Kawerau address with incident were alleged to have wear gang regalia. He must not conditions that included been among the group who enter Gisborne unless for court a 24-hour curfew, travel Covid lockdown converged on Edison Street. or to meet with his lawyer. restrictions and orders not Charlie Rewi McMinn, 30, Donnelly, 31, also appeared to associate with victims THE St John Ambulance service in Apart from GP referrals (649), the was charged with possessing on the three jointly-laid and co-offenders, including Tairawhiti was called out more than biggest group of Tairawhiti ambulance an offensive weapon — a charges. He was remanded on Gemmell. 6100 times in 2020. call-outs involved breathing problems baseball bat — in public, and bail without plea to an Opotiki Gemmell was further This was slightly less than in 2019 (591), down 30 on 2019. three other jointly-laid offences address. remanded in custody by involving Dylan David Donnelly Bail conditions were similar consent overnight to apply for despite a significant slowdown in calls St John received 535 calls to falls and others as co-accused. to those imposed for McMinn bail today. during the Covid 19 lockdown period. (down 43) and 445 unconscious or Those charges were but the curfew was an Culshaw was readmitted to The 2020 total of 6168 compared to passing out incidents (down 35), while threatening to kill Aupouri, overnight one from 7pm to 7am. bail at a Raupunga address. 6211 in 2019. chest pains amounted to 396 calls using a firearm while Donnelly’s case will be called Conditions for Culshaw also Nationally, St John responded (down 42). committing an imprisonable again at a registrar’s list on included a travel restriction, to nearly half a million medical St John crews here responded offence (threatening to kill), February 17. 24-hour curfew, and order emergencies last year. to 322 vehicle crashes last year, up and unlawful assembly. He is excused from attending forbidding him from associating “Covid 19 changed 2020 for 30,and there were 237 assaults of McMinn was granted bail if represented by his lawyer. with Kohe-Davis and Gemmell. everyone, including the emergency various kinds — up 65 on 2019. to a Taranaki address with The three men who appeared He is scheduled to reappear ambulance service, and while reduced Heart problems amounted to 103 conditions, including a 24-hour before Judge Recordon in in Wairoa District Court on movement of New Zealanders (up 24), psychiatric/suicide attempts curfew and an order not to relation to the Wairoa incidents February 12.