Full Breakdown
Trial Over Alleged Murder of Harley Shrimpton Begins in Rotorua
6/3/2026, 4:35:32 AM
Core Event
The High Court in Rotorua began a trial on 2 May 2024 over the death of 28-year-old Harley Shrimpton. Crown solicitor Anna Pollett charged 23-year-old Greazy Dogs MC member Piripi Tukaokao and 21-year-old Tuara Heke with murder, kidnapping and aggravated robbery. The Crown says Tukaokao lured Shrimpton to a remote Poripori property, shot him with a shotgun and buried the body.
Background
The Crown says Shrimpton accrued significant debt while battling a drug addiction, including a debt to the Greazy Dogs gang estimated between $2,000 and $5,000. This financial pressure was presented as a motive for the alleged kidnapping.
Timeline of the Alleged Crime
- 3 Nov 2023 – Tukaokao and Heke entered Shrimpton’s flat, threatened the occupant, seized his phone, then lured Shrimpton to a Sulphur Point carpark, blocking his vehicle with a blue Prius and forcing him inside.
- Afternoon – Shrimpton was driven to a vacant Poripori property where Tukaokao shot him in the chest; the wound was non-survivable.
- Afterward – The body was wrapped, placed in a 2 m-deep, 1 m-wide hole, the shed cleaned with bleach, and police recovered it on 5 Dec 2023 after Tukaokao led officers to the burial site.
Evidence and Weapon
The fatal shot came from a semi-automatic shotgun traced to Terrence Hayes, who left a suicide note stating, “Pids got the gun from me. I left it in the back seat of my car.” Police recovered the shotgun, a blue Prius, Shrimpton’s phone and the bleach-cleaned shed.
Official Statements & Defence Criticism
Crown solicitor Anna Pollett highlighted the deliberate shotgun purchase and the effort to conceal the body. Defence counsel Rebekah Webby said there were no eyewitnesses, that Tukaokao claimed the discharge was accidental, and that the Crown lacked direct proof of aggravated robbery. Heke’s counsel Bill Nabney admitted his client cleaned the shed but denied moving the body. The defence also pointed to the lack of forensic evidence linking Tukaokao to the trigger pull and questioned the reliability of his statements after police interrogation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The exact amount Shrimpton owed remains unspecified, with estimates ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.
- Heke admits cleaning the shed but disputes moving the body, creating a factual discrepancy.
- No independent witness observed the shooting, leaving the event reliant on the defendants’ testimonies.
Verbatim Quotes
- “... It became all the more serious with a debt to the gang,” — Anna Pollett, Crown solicitor
- “Pids got the gun from me. I left it in the back seat of my car.” — Suicide note, Terrence Hayes
- “He says it should never have happened the way it happened,” — Rebekah Webby, defence counsel
What’s Next
The trial is scheduled to run for four weeks, after which the jury will deliberate on the murder charge and related offences.
