WARNING: This article discusses violence and may be upsetting to some readers.

Rita Tawhai believes her partner’s death could have been avoided if her son had been placed in a secure facility during his medication change.

“To lose the love of my life is heart‑breaking. To lose my son to a system that doesn’t work is devastating,” she told the court as her son was ordered to remain in a secure mental health facility indefinitely.

Geoffrey Ware was murdered by Jack Korewha, in a tragedy linked to failures across the mental health system, missed warning signs and poor risk management.

Korewha, 27, appeared in the High Court at Whangārei on Tuesday for his final hearing.

On May 9, 2025, only weeks into a change of medication for schizophrenia, Korewha was at his mother’s home she shared with Ware on Mangakāhia Rd in Parakao, Northland.

Ware, 55, was sitting in a lounge chair when Korewha plunged a bone-handled knife into his neck.

Korewha placed the bloodied knife on the bench and left, leaving Ware, who died at the scene from blood loss.

Korewha left in Ware’s car, and was found by police hours later walking along State Highway 14. He had no recollection of stabbing Ware.

He was taken into custody and charged with a minor offence but two weeks later was charged with murder.

For the next six months, the court case progressed through the High Court awaiting mental health reports, and Korewha was formally declared unfit to stand trial in December.

At his disposition hearing, Korewha appeared via audio-visual link from the Mason Centre wearing a hospital gown.

Rita Tawhai and her partner Geoffrey Ware.

‘I’m angry at the system’

Ware’s partner and Korewha’s mother had her victim impact statement read.

It detailed the double loss Rita Tawhai felt and her frustration her son wasn’t placed in a secure facility while his medication was being changed.

“I had talked with the mental health team and was disappointed they didn’t help sooner,” she said.

“Poor decisions have caused the love of my life to be lost.”

She said since the incident she had been “left to deal with the brunt of it”.

“I am angry at the system, I have been put through the wringer and left to cope with it. I’ve had so-called family and friends blaming me for things I did not do.

“Some are cold-hearted and have no idea what’s going on. The system needs to change for the better of society or this will keep happening.”

Justice Wilkinson-Smith said Korewha's mental health reports made for sad reading. Photo / NZME

‘Reports made for sad reading’

Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith went into detail around Korewha’s troubled mental health history.

She cautioned Korewha that some of what she was about to read, he might be hearing for the first time, yet he sat through it without a flicker of emotion, staring straight ahead.

Justice Wilkinson-Smith first acknowledged the distress the families had experienced since Ware’s death and thanked them for their views.

Korewha had no history of violence until he was first admitted as an inpatient in a Northland mental health facility in 2021 when he was 21.

“The reports made for sad reading,” she said.

By March 2022 he was on medication for schizophrenia and released back into the community, but by June, he was back.

He absconded twice from the facility, transitioned to a new medication and was released again.

In March 2023, he was reported as doing well and his mental health community order was ceased.

In September 2024, his medication was reduced and then ceased completely, but by April 2025 he was put on a new medication.

“The death of Mr Ware then followed on May 9,” Justice Wilkinson-Smith said.

During that period he was assessed as having an intellectual disorder, but Justice Wilkinson‑Smith said that finding was incorrect as it was made after his schizophrenia diagnosis.

“He has an established history of psychosis which he’s previously been treated by anti-psychotics.

“Previous clinical notes give inconsistent and, at times, contradictory accounts of his poor performance.”

She said he did not meet the criteria for intellectual disability.

Justice Wilkinson-Smith said when Korewha was unwell he would exhibit persecutor delusions, auditory hallucinations, poverty of speech and cognitive impairment.

She said he also had a number of significant risk factors present at the time of Ware’s death.

Since being in the Mason clinic, Korewha “was observed responding to unseen stimuli when he was in his room which included laughing and talking to himself”, Justice Wilkinson-Smith said.

“He is unable to engage in future planning or engage in destabilising. He’s unable to engage in mediation, unable to describe how to manage stress. While it’s treatable, the effect is still not clear.

“His current inability to acknowledge the events relating to the killing of Mr Ware, or to describe his experience or his motivation, presents significant challenges to predict or modify his future risk.”

Justice Wilkinson-Smith said it was in the interests of the public and Korewha that he be detained in a secure mental health facility.

“Any lesser response would not adequately address the risk he has.”

Under the order, Korewha can only be discharged with the approval of the Minister of Health.

ANXIETY

Where to get help:
• LIFELINE AOTEAROA: 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633
• NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7)
• KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 or TEXT 4202
• NATIONAL ANXIETY 24 HR HELPLINE: 0800 269 4389

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.