Tekuru‘s lawyer, Scott Mills, entered Tekuru’s guilty plea at today’s appearance.
Mills suggested the court consider allocating a 90-minute slot for sentencing because of “a number of complicating features”.
Judge Anna Skellern agreed to this.
Mills said there were two “very helpful and thorough” Section 38 reports – a report to check if a person is mentally fit to stand trial.
“I’m content that they have what I need to make a submission that I need to make, but whether the court thinks that a section 38 report would assist the court … ”
Judge Skellern said she believed the court “probably” had what it needed, and said Tekuru would be remanded in custody for sentencing on January 23, 2026.
She directed a pre-sentence report and no additional Section 38 reports.
The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.