Screaming and weeping relatives of a five-year-old Napier girl found dead in her bed shortly before Christmas brought Napier District Court to a standstill this morning.
Police and security guards rushed to quell the chaos that erupted in the courtroom's public gallery as Kerry Charles Ratana was remanded in custody on one charge of sexually violating Sahara Jayde Baker-Koro between December 18 and 21.
Ratana had been living at the girl's Napier home, but was not related to her.
As Judge Geoff Rea spoke, a young man in a yellow tee-shirt stood and swore at 24-year-old Ratana, who was standing in the dock.
Ratana turned away from the public and stared fixedly at the floor.
Within seconds, others in the gallery joined in and began screaming and swearing at Ratana, including a woman who sobbed "you killed my baby".
While police cleared the bereaved family's supporters from the gallery, Judge Rea warned those remaining that anyone who felt they could not cope with "the emotion of this hearing or any other" should also leave the courtroom immediately.
He then adjourned proceedings for five minutes before returning to court and remanding Ratana in custody until February 2.
He also lifted suppression of Ratana's name.
Police withdrew a charge against Ratana of assaulting Sahara, who was found dead in bed in her Riverbend Road home on the morning of December 22.
