While Te Rangi Trangmar, known as Te Rangi Marshall, did have a gun, his lawyer David Allan told Judge Philip Crayton in the Hamilton District Court recently that it was in fact a toy one - and something his client had forgotten about.
“Mr Trangmar instructs that he had completely forgotten that he had a plastic toy pistol in his pocket and had gone to Work and Income,” Allan said.
He only realised once staff became concerned, so he started walking out of the office, then fled in his car.
He was stopped by armed police and fled in a panic, leading police on a short pursuit through the back roads of Te Awamutu, travelling at almost twice the 80km/h speed limit along Pokuru Rd through to Kakepuku, where he finally pulled over.
However, noticing armed police, he fled on foot, but was eventually tracked due to his electronically monitored bracelet.
That all occurred on July 28, just three days after he had been released from prison on other threatening violence charges from last year.
Trangmar has a notorious criminal history, most notably an incident in 2010 when, suffering from delusions, he thought he was Adolf Hitler and went on a rampage, assaulting and threatening to kill several people and firing shots inside a Waitomo bar before going on the run for two days.
However, he had been recalled to prison several times for breaching his conditions, and was back in court for sentencing on multiple charges, including - most seriously, from Judge Crayton’s perspective - for setting up a Facebook page and posting photos of himself with a gun.
On August 5, he posted a “selfie” of himself holding a sawn-off shotgun, and six days later, a photo of a man wearing a gang patch holding the same weapon in one hand and a machete in the other.
When he was arrested on August 17, police found a text in which he offered to supply a small amount of cannabis on August 9.
“He has been in custody for nearly two months. My main concern is, he lasted three days [without offending] when he was [last] released.
“The central issue here is if he gets a sentence that means he walks straight out the door, he’s left to his own devices; he makes poor decisions.
“I do see the use of social media as being the greatest, or most serious [offence], and that’s because it’s clearly considered. He’s clearly reaching out to those who are not pro-social ... and the images posted don’t reflect well on Mr Trangmar.
“For someone on an [extended supervision order], for someone who just walked out of prison, with his background, that’s what really troubles me.”
Allan accepted Trangmar had a “very serious” criminal history and he “doesn’t like working with psychologists” as they stress him out.
For Winz appointments, he would usually go with a family member, but on this day he went by himself and didn’t check his pockets before leaving home.
Trangmar had also promised to stop using social media completely, and said although he had an affiliation with the King Country Mongrel Mob, that had never resulted in any of his criminal offending.
“He keeps making this mistake over messaging and doing things which are anti-social and that can be interpreted as being sinister.”
Allan said his family still supported him - his mother was in court for his sentencing.
Judge Crayton accepted there was nothing sinister involved in Trangmar having the toy pistol in his pocket and that he did panic when initially fleeing police and then after seeing armed officers.
However, he noted the images were clearly to attract the attention of gangs, which was concerning given his background.
On three charges, including failing to stop and breaching an extended supervision order, Trangmar was jailed for six months.
Judge Crayton said he hoped by the time he was due for release this time - in roughly six weeks - any appropriate, additional supports would be in place and he wouldn’t “fall into making the same impulsive and unwise choices”.
