Super Liquor on Sloane Street, in Te Awamutu, was allegedly one of the businesses targeted by the group. Photo: Google Maps
A mother has been charged with shooting at police as they tried to arrest her kids, who are accused of carrying out ram raids in Waikato.
The 32-year-old was charged yesterday and appeared in Hamilton District Court via audio-visual link today, facing three charges from the 19 December incident which involved ram raids in Cambridge and Te Awamutu.
Police were first called to a burglary in Duke Street, Cambridge, at 3.49am and a burglary at Super Liquor, Te Awamutu, on Sloane Street at 4.42am.
The alleged burglars' vehicle was stopped after police used road spikes near Bader St, Hamilton before a police dog team arrested four youths.
It was about this time the woman - who is jointly charged with a 28-year-old Hamilton man - is alleged to have shot at police.
Her counsel Charles Bean today failed in his attempt to get the woman bail on three charges; two of using a firearm against three police constables and wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice by discharging a firearm at police to divert their attention away from a group of offending actively avoiding capture.
The first two charges carry a maximum of 14 years' jail, while the third carries a maximum of seven years' prison.
Judge Phillip Cooper remanded the woman in custody to reappear next month to enter pleas.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.