Nark

Darcy Te Hira died in 1985 after being bashed in Mt Eden Prison. Fellow inmate Ross Appelgren was convicted of the crime. But was the evidence dodgy? After all, it was supplied by narks.

Contains strong language and violent themes

Written and hosted by Mike Wesley-Smith

Black and white grainy image of Ross Appelgren (left hand side) and Darcy Te Hira (right handside) with their faces partially obscured by the end of the image. Prison bars appear behind then, with the word 'Nark' in all caps in white with a black strip behind the words.

Follow this podcast

RSS
Apple PodcastsSpotifyIHeartRadioYouTube Podcasts

Get this podcast straight from the source in the free RNZ app: Apple App Store or Google Play

A Kitchen Murder

Episode 2
Darcy Te Hira’s murder in Mt Eden prison is one shrouded in controversy. The only prison guard on duty saw and heard nothing. Initially, Darcy was treated as if he was ill when he had no history of seizures and by the time the alarm was raised, the kitchen had been cleaned. Was there a cover up?
An archival image of the Sunday News newspaper featuring the headlines “Brutal jail drug killing" in black and white with a mugshot image of Darcy Te Hira. The layout includes an inset photograph of a kitchen with tables and chairs, overlaid with an image of a large wooden paddle both from a 1992 TV documentary. The words "Ep 2 A Kitchen Murder" are in the bottom right hand corner.

Tony

Episode 1
On 6 January 1985, Tony “Darcy” Te Hira was murdered in Mt Eden Prison. Fellow inmate Ross Appelgren was twice convicted of the killing but maintained his innocence, saying the prosecution case was based on a string of lies from inmates prepared to “nark” in return for money and early release. For decades the case has remained dormant. But now, an unheard appeal is being resurrected and two women who lost the men they love are looking for answers.
A composite image featuring three photographs arranged on a textured background. The left photograph is an archival photo showing Suzanne Young and Darcy Te Hira standing close together with each other looking at the camera. The centre photograph is archival, depicting Suzanne Young and Darcy Te Hira standing together outdoors, surrounded by colorful flowers and greenery. The right photograph is of Suzanne Young in present day wearing a floral-patterned blouse, posed against a plain backdrop. The worlds "Ep 1 Tony" appear in the top left hand corner.

Introducing: Nark

Trailer
Listen here for a taste of what's to come in RNZ's latest true crime podcast - Nark. The pursuit of justice has never sounded so good.

Nark | Trailer

Trailer
A prison murder, an unlikely love story and a cast of colourful characters. RNZ's new true crime podcast is not to be missed.

Further reading

Other podcasts
like this one

More podcasts with similar themes or ideas that you might enjoy.

  • Image of Kura Turuwhenua, Brett Graham and Ngahuia Te Awekotuku smiling with te reo Maori word "Tukua" in neon blue behind them.

    TUKUA

    Exploring an intergenerational response to arts and cultural events.

  • The words "Black Sheep" are displayed in a vintage font above a black sheep with a creepy red eye.

    Black Sheep

    The shady, controversial & sometimes downright villainous characters of NZ.

  • A large open eye in black and white appears between a family photo with the eyes blacked out and an old audio recorder on the left, and the NZ parliament building on the right. Below are documents with stamps and images. Bold text in the centre reads 'The Service'.

    The Service

    At the height of the Cold War laws are bent to breaking point.