A lifestyle block owner has been fined $20,000 and ordered to pay $700 in veterinarian costs for animal welfare offences.

Russell Murray Berghuis, 70, appeared for sentence in the Whakatāne District Court on Wednesday, having been found guilty of contravening a disqualification order and neglecting animals in his care.

The charges laid under the Animal Welfare Act were brought to court by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the second time Berghuis had been charged under the act.

In 2021 he was found guilty of five charges under the act and prohibited from owning or having any more than 14 cows, calves or cattle on his Whakatāne property. At the time, his small block was overstocked with 31 beef cattle on 7 hectares of land.

The following year, he was found to have 21 cattle on the property.

Counsel for MPI said Berghuis was given warnings in 2022 and didn’t heed them, and an inspection was carried out.

In 2024, while still subject to the disqualification order, he was found to have 16 live cattle and a newborn calf.

Twenty-five percent of Berghuis’ cattle were emaciated, and one was dead.

Defence lawyer Lisa Ebbers said Berghuis misunderstood the initial disqualification order.

She said he had been struggling under financial pressure and almost lost the property in a mortgagee sale. His longtime partner had since sold her property, invested in the lifestyle block and was taking some control and responsibility for its operation.

Extensive work had been done to the property since to provide more good pasture.

Bail declined

Morris Nepia Matanga of Tāneatua has been remanded in custody on a raft of charges.

Judge LoiBidois declined the 40-year-old man bail when he appeared on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of cannabis, possession of utensils for smoking methamphetamine, driving while disqualified, careless driving, driving while forbidden and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.

He will reappear in court on December 11 for case review.

Switchblade denied

Harlem Shelford has pleaded not guilty to charges of displaying gang insignia, unlawful possession of various calibre ammunition, and possession of a switchblade knife.

He pleaded guilty to breaching his community work sentence.

The 33-year-old Ōhope man was granted bail and will appear for case review on December 11.

Supervision and community work

An obviously delighted Chance Riini was released from prison on Wednesday after being sentenced on charges of theft and shoplifting.

Police withdrew charges of burglary and receiving, and Riini pleaded guilty to the remaining charges.

He appeared via audio visual link from custody where he had been on remand for three months.

Riini was sentenced to 80 hours’ community work and nine months’ supervison with orders to make reparation for the stolen e-scooter, valued at over $1100, and the items he shoplifted.

Judge Bidois said the combination of community work and supervision might encourage him to get on top of his issues.

But if he continued to offend, he would go back to prison.

Prison for burglary

Renee Soutar has been sentenced to six months in prison on charges of burglary, shoplifing and trespass.

The 42-year-old Whakatāne woman pleaded guilty to all the offending, which Judge Bidois described as “opportunistic but in some cases, deliberate”.

January sentence date

A Rotoma man will be sentenced in January on a charge of dangerous driving causing death.

Wayne Russell Spender, 63, has pleaded guilty to driving dangerously and causing the death of Cameron Johnson on January 17, 2026.

Judge Biodois said the starting point for such “obviously devastating” offending was prison.

He directed restorative justice take place if the victim’s family were prepared to meet with the defendant.

‘Go get the help you need’ – judge

Raniera Taitapanui has been sentenced to five months’ home detention to be served at the Grace Foundation.

Taitapanui appeared for sentence on a charge of being armed with intent to commit burglary.

The incident, which occurred while he was already serving a sentence of home detention, involved the accessing of a storage shed.

“You have had a taste of jail; you have breached home detention [previously] and if you breach again, you will go to jail.

“Go get the help you need.”

Restorative justice directed

David Pake Leef will be sentenced on January 13 on charges of assault on a person in a family relationship and strangulation.

Judge Bidois asked for a presentence report with home detention appendices to be prepared ahead of sentencing and directed restorative justice take place.

Home D

Tommy Taitapanui has been sentenced to 10 months’ home detention for his part in an aggravated burglary.

The 33-year-old appeared for sentence on charges of aggravated burglary, burglary and breach of home detention.

His lawyer, Rebecca Plunket, said the aggravated aspect involved the shooting out of cameras at the property being burgled.