Thompson told the inquest last week that despite never having met Poseidyn or the baby’s parents, he was asked to uphold Tikanga Māori at the tangi. After a muddled back-and-forth with Tuialii, Kingi Snelgar, Pickering’s counsel to assist, questioned Thompson. To clarify, Coroner Fitzgibbon asked Thompson again if Pickering had said, aloud, that he hit Poseidyn, to which Thompson replied “nah”. “If none of them are going to tell the truth, then all of them are responsible,” Nathan declared. Huakau told the inquest she lied to make herself seem like a good mother, and so she would not be judged.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 13, 2026 09:48 UTC