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Offender Databases Brendon Wanihi

Brendon Topa Wanihi

Alias

.

Offences

Murder of Fairfield widow Evelyn Victoria Orr using a chair and rake in Hamilton in November 1985
Aggravated assault and assault with a weapon against a police officer while on parole for this offence

Victims

Evelyn Victoria Orr

Offender Affiliations

Simon Terry

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1970

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to life imprisonment (seven years at that time) in July 1986
Paroled 2002, recalled December 2006
Sentenced to eighteen months in May 2007
Due for next hearing November 2008

Background
Waikato Times story here
In 1995, Brendon Wanihi used a rake to kill an elderly woman in her Hamilton home and served 14 years in jail. This week he returned to prison for attacking a cop. Susana Talagi reports. A convicted murderer who served a life sentence is back behind bars after being convicted of aggravated assault against a police officer. Brendon Wanihi was jailed for 18 months in the Hamilton District Court this week for the attack on a Hamilton police officer last year. Wanihi served 14 years in prison for using a rake to murder an elderly woman in her house in Tramway Rd, Hamilton, in 1985 (his co-offender Simon Paul Terry was convicted of her manslaughter).
The story was widely reported in the Waikato Times at the time.

On December 9 last year, Wanihi, 37, refused to stop for police and led them on a chase through peak-hour Hamilton traffic, eventually stopping in Peachgrove Rd. A passenger in the car ran off while Wanihi also ran down an alleyway, where he was cornered by a police officer. Wanihi told the officer to "leave me alone" and began throwing rocks at him. One hit the officer in the head. The police officer tried to pepper spray Wanihi, who was climbing a fence to get away. Wanihi fell on top of the officer, got up and kicked him. "Do you want to have a go then," Wanihi said as he stood over him. A member of the public then helped the police officer restrain Wanihi.

Defence lawyer Douglas Hall said Wanihi "panicked" because there was a warrant out for his arrest. Mr Hall also produced photographs showing Wanihi threw stones, not rocks. In court this week - when Wanihi admitted four charges - Judge Robert Wolff said there was a certain sense of hopelessness about the case. In 1986, Wanihi was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the 1985 murder of elderly Fairfield widow Evelyn Victoria Orr. Mrs Orr was killed after being hit by a chair and rake in her Tramway Rd home. She suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung, broken neck, several cuts and a dislocated shoulder. Puncture wounds on her back were consistent with being hit four times with a rake. Wanihi was last released from prison in 2002 and had admitted to having an alcohol problem. Judge Wolff sentenced Wanihi to 18 months' imprisonment for the aggravated assault and assault with a blunt weapon charges against the police officer.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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