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Loafers Lodge arsonist found guilty of five murders

Loafers Lodge news
Image – Google Maps / Street View.

50-year-old Esarona David Lologa has been found guilty of five counts of murder and one count of arson for lighting the fatal blaze at Loafers Lodge in Wellington in May 2023, which killed Michael Wahrlich, Melvin Parun, Peter O’Sullivan, Kenneth Barnard, and Liam Hockings.

The verdict was delivered after a five-week trial.

Lologa admitted starting the fire but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His identity, previously suppressed, was released at the conclusion of the trial.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. The 3:1 Worker-to-Retiree Ratio by 2036
    At the moment it is 7:1
    – By 2036, New Zealand is expected to have just 3 working-age people for every person aged 65 or older.
    – This is a sharp decline from the 5:1 ratio in 2001, and even the 4:1 ratio in 2020.
    – The change reflects lower birth rates, longer life expectancy, and the retirement of the baby boomer generation.
    🧓 Implications for NZ Superannuation
    – NZ Super is a universal, non-means-tested pension, funded from general taxation.
    – With fewer workers supporting more retirees, the fiscal pressure will intensify, raising questions about sustainability, eligibility age, and payment levels.
    – Policy discussions have included:
    – Raising the age of eligibility (currently 65).
    – Adjusting residency requirements (tightened in 2024).
    – Exploring means testing or income-linked adjustments.
    🔍 Strategic Signals
    – Treasury and Stats NZ have flagged this trend as a structural challenge for public finances.
    – It’s also a cue for individuals to plan for retirement more proactively, especially as KiwiSaver and private savings will play a larger role.
    With a vast proportion of all crime being committed in NZ as over represented by a disproportionate demographic of the population what is this doing to secure Your future?
    While there’s no single published figure for the total cost of a murder trial in New Zealand, including police time, court proceedings, legal aid, and incarceration, we can piece together a reasonable estimate based on available data and expert analysis.
    💰 Estimated Cost Breakdown of a Murder Trial in NZ
    Police investigation $500,000-1,000,000
    Court proceedings $100,000-300,000
    Legal aid $50,000-150,000
    Crown prosecution $50,000-100,000
    Expert witnesses $10,000-50,000
    Corrections 100,000-300,000
    🧮 Total Estimated Cost: $800,000 to $2 million+ per trial
    🧨 Factors That Inflate Costs
    – Lengthy trials (some run for weeks or months)
    – Multiple defendants or appeals
    – High-profile or complex forensic evidence
    – Mental health assessments or fitness-to-stand-trial hearings
    🧭 Strategic Insight
    These trials are among the most resource-intensive in the justice system. While justice must be served, the fiscal impact is real—especially when paired with long-term incarceration costs and appeals.
    Certain demographic groups, most notably Māori, figure particularly in the criminal justice system.
    📊 Key Findings from Official Reports
    – Māori make up about 17% of New Zealand’s population, but account for:
    – Over 40% of all criminal apprehensions
    – Around 50% of the prison population
    – This over representation is especially pronounced among young Māori men, and in categories like violent offending and repeat incarceration.
    🧠 Contributing Factors
    The Department of Corrections and other agencies highlight a complex mix of causes:
    – Early-life disadvantage: Higher rates of poverty, unstable housing, and limited access to education.
    – Systemic bias: Evidence of differential treatment at various stages—policing, prosecution, sentencing.
    – Inter generational trauma: Linked to perceived colonization, loss of land, and cultural dislocation.
    – Youthfulness of the Māori population: A younger age profile means more individuals are in the age range statistically associated with higher offending.
    ⚖️ Justice Sector Response
    – Initiatives like Te Ao Marama aim to embed tikanga Māori into court processes.
    – The government has explored alternative sentencing, restorative justice, and community-based rehabilitation to reduce re offending.
    – There’s growing emphasis on culturally responsive services and whānau-centred support.
    Sources: , New Zealand Police crime statistics.

    • It costs approx $150,000.00 per year to keep each prisoner
      The prison population in nz is projected to increase 36% over the next decade
      Eye watering statistics

    • All your suggested molly coddling of the Maoris (and other criminals of all races) is exactly what has encouraged them with the idea they can commit crime and get away with it. More rigid application of the law and less early parole releases without excuses is needed.
      Stop making excuses for criminal behaviour and molly coddling criminals. They might have a sob story, but their victims rights are being trampled on in favour of the criminal. The gang culture should be dismantled too, although I can see why the police like to have them around to keep their budgets expanding and lots of new toys and gear to play with.
      The legal system is a circus.

      • Maori get a free pass
        And a facade to hide behind and deflect criticism
        Called racism
        A Jewish word
        Designed to shut down any purposeful meaningful discussion before any purposeful meaningful discussion having taken place
        People are being harmed impacted and scarred by the criminality crime wave that is going on in NZ by a specific identifiable minority ethnic group
        There is no defying the facts
        And what happened to ‘Crime Watch?’
        Cindy had the answer
        “We are one”
        Problem solved
        This all should have been nipped in the bud years ago and not allowed to manifest itself and proliferate through a long line in succession of incompetent impotent politicians asleep at the wheel quite content to keep kicking the can down the road
        Crime is a millstone around the neck of society that is dragging it down

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