NEWS
Thursday, August 21, 2025 | hcpost.news
Hauraki-Coromandel Post 7
David Tamihere case goes to the Supreme Court L awyers for double convicted murderer David Tamihere were in the country’s highest
• his treatment of the couple’s property at Tararu Creek Road; • his admissions when confronted with evidence he could not explain away; • his proven lies about his movements and activities. “It cannot be known exactly what happened to Ms Paakkonen, but the Court found the evidence consistent with a sequence of events in which the couple encountered Mr Tamihere at Wentworth, where Mr Höglin was killed and Ms Paakkonen was abducted and taken to Tararu Creek Road in the couple’s car,” the judges concluded. “We accept that it remains impossible to know the couple’s precise movements after they were seen in Thames on 7 April and why they were killed. But we do not accept that it is impossible to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Tamihere killed them.” Tamihere’s lawyer Murray Gibson said after the ruling that Tamihere no longer had much faith in the justice system. Police welcomed last year’s Court of Appeal ruling and called it “hugely validating” for the staff who worked on the case. They said they remained determined to find answers for the tourists’ families. While Höglin’s body was found in 1991 the location of his fiancé’s body remained “one key piece missing from this puzzle”, police said. They appealed for Tamihere to “do the right thing”. There is no obligation for Tamihere to appear at the Supreme Court hearing. This article originally appeared on RNZ
court on Monday, questioning whether his convictions should have been quashed. It is the latest chapter for Tamihere, who was convicted in December 1990 of murdering Swedish tourists Sven Urban Höglin, 23 and Heidi Birgitta Paakkonen, 21. They disappeared while tramping in dense bush in the Coromandel Peninsula the previous year. Tamihere served more than 20 years of a life sentence in prison before being released on parole in 2010. He has always denied even meeting the pair and there have been lingering questions around the convictions. n 2020 the then-Governor- General, on advice from former Justice Minister Andrew Little, granted Tamihere a rare Royal Prerogative of Mercy. The case was referred back to the Court of Appeal to rule on whether there may have been a miscarriage of justice. That court, in July last year, found there was - but upheld Tamihere’s murder convictions because there was evidence beyond reasonable doubt he murdered the tourists. This, in turn, was appealed to the Supreme Court which is hearing the case now. The Supreme Court is normally based in Wellington but five Supreme Court judges will hear the case at the largest courtroom at the High Court in Auckland. It is the final appeal court in the country and only hears appeals if it earlier grants leave for this. That leave was issued just before Christmas and the case will centre on one approved question of whether the Court of Appeal was right to not exercise its jurisdiction under the Crimes Act to quash Tamihere’s two murder convictions. When they granted leave, Supreme Court judges indicated particular interest in hearing submissions on whether Tamihere’s trial was unfair, and if there was a fundamental error. They are also interested in hearing if the Court of Appeal was right to uphold the convictions. The judges are Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann, Justice Williams, Justice Glazebrook, Justice France and Justice Kós. Tamihere will be represented by his long-time lawyer, Murray Gibson as well as James Carruthers. The case is set down for three days. Arguments were made in the Court of Appeal that evidence from a jail-house snitch should never have been put to the jury at trial. Tamihere’s lawyer James Carruthers said the false evidence undermined the Crown’s case. The evidence was from
PHOTO: RNZ
David Wayne Tamihere in 2017.
them and dumping their bodies at sea. But Höglin’s remains were found by pig hungers near Whangamatā two years after he was charged, more than 70km from where the Crown said the murders happened. Tamihere’s lawyer argued that made it impossible for Tamihere to have disposed of the body the same afternoon he was allegedly seen with Paakkonen by the trampers. Höglin was still wearing the watch police claimed Tamihere had stolen and given to his son. The three Court of Appeal judges found Harris’ evidence in the trial may have affected the jury’s verdicts and so amounted to a miscarriage of justice. But they said this did not justify setting aside Tamihere’s convictions. Their almost 90-page long
“Witness C”, Roberto Conchie Harris, revealed in 2018 as a secret informant. Harris said Tamihere confessed to the murders, but was privately prosecuted in 2017 and found guilty of eight counts of perjury over his evidence. The Crown case at the original trial was that Tamihere was living in the bush when he murdered the couple near Crosbies Clearing north of Thames. It partly relied on Harris’ evidence that Tamihere disclosed he had almost been “sprung” by “a couple” while he was in the bush with Paakkonen. That account tended to back up evidence from two trampers who identified Tamihere as a man they encountered at Crosbies Clearing with a young woman. Harris also said Tamihere confessed to sexually abusing both tourists, before murdering
ruling said other evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt it was Tamihere who murdered Höglin and Paakkonen. This included evidence that was not heard by the jury in the first trial but heard at the appeal. Their ruling highlighted: • eyewitness evidence of two trampers, John Cassidy and Theodore Knauf, who identified Tamihere as the man they met at Crosbies Clearing with a young, blonde, European-looking woman at around 3pm on 8 April 1989; • the finding at Tamihere’s home of distinctive items seen by the trampers; • his use of the couple’s key to gain access to their car; • the finding of Paakkonen’s wallet and jacket between Tararu Creek Road and Crosbies Clearing;
Electrify Coromandel
A s power bills climb and fuel costs bite, many Coromandel households are feeling the pinch. But what if you could slash your energy bills, cut emissions, and future-proof your home — all at the same time? That’s exactly what Electrify Coromandel is all about. Hosted by Rewiring Aotearoa , this free community event will show you how upgrading your gas and petrol-powered appliances, vehicles, and equipment to modern electric alternatives can save you thousands each year. Pair those upgrades with solar and battery storage, and you can boost your energy independence — even during power cuts or extreme weather. The Coromandel has now reached the “electrification tipping point”, where going
electric isn’t just better for the environment — it’s cheaper for homes, farms, and businesses. But many people aren’t aware of the savings hiding in their cupboards, kitchens, and driveways. Guest speaker Mike Casey knows this first-hand. His all- electric, solar-powered cherry orchard is saving him tens of thousands of dollars annually. At Electrify Coromandel , Mike will share his journey, tips, and practical steps so you can start reaping the benefits too. Community electrification groups are springing up across New Zealand, helping locals make the switch and enjoy cleaner, cheaper, healthier energy. Now, it’s the Coromandel’s turn. Come along, get inspired, and learn how you can start saving while powering a cleaner future.
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator