29 Sep 2011

More details released of police raids in Urewera

5:50 am on 29 September 2011

More details about the Crown's case following the police raids in the Urewera Ranges have been revealed in court documents.

Eighteen people were arrested after the police used covert surveillance nearly five years ago.

But the charges against most of those alleged to have used firearms were dropped, after the Supreme Court ruled the police gathered the evidence illegally.

Court suppression of the Crown's evidence against one of them - Valerie Morse - has just been lifted.

The police alleged a balaclava-clad Ms Morse threw a molotov cocktail into an outdoor oven, with a pistol tucked into her trousers.

Ms Morse is refusing to say whether the evidence against her released on Wednesday is accurate.

Speaking to Checkpoint she said the group had maintained all along that they had all available defences.

"In effect I don''t feel that I need to answer those questions because I don't need to prove my innocence - they [the police] have to prove my guilt and they will never do that because they broke the law."

The police also alleged some of the accused held online chat conversations about modified items that could kill a person, and sent text messages about buying firearms.

Four other people charged with being part of a criminal group are still facing trial in 2012.