Barber cleared while Neho and Kamaru convicted of manslaughter and arson in Stokes Valley fire trial

A High Court jury heard evidence that three Mangu Kaha affiliates had used Molotov cocktails to ignite a series of fires at a Kāinga Ora flat complex in Lower Hutt, culminating in the fatal blaze that killed 82-year-old pensioner Ian Moller. After a lengthy trial, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict for Henare Barber, who denied directing the arson. Arden Neho and Reardon Kamaru were each found guilty of manslaughter and arson, and Neho received an additional conviction for attempted arson relating to the earlier attempts.

The court remanded the two convicted men in custody while they await sentencing later this year. Family members, including Moller's niece Denise Harrison, praised police work but expressed lingering shock over the loss and the subsequent burglary of the victim's flat. The case highlighted extensive police investigation, including text message analysis and seizure of phones, despite a lack of physical forensic evidence linking the defendants to the fires.