Sentencing put off for person of interest in 'Baby Ru' death

Wednesday, 8 November 2023

One of the trio of interest regarding the death of Ruthless-Empire, known as Baby Ru, has had a sentencing put off while the investigation continues.

Rosie Morunga had previously been found guilty of two charges of assault and one of shoplifting. She was acquitted of one charge of wilful damage.

She also faces one charge of breach of an intensive supervision order.

None of the current charges before the court relate to Baby Ru.

Morunga hid her face the entire time she was in court on Wednesday. When approached by The Post, she refused to answer questions about the baby’s death.

Hutt Valley District Court judge Arthur Tompkins​ declined media applications for in-court photographs and asked her lawyer, Paul Knowsley,​ if the sentencing should be put off.

Morunga was remanded until December for monitoring whether the sentencing should go ahead.

Ruthless-Empire died on October 22 – just shy of his second birthday – after he was taken to Hutt Hospital in Wellington in an unresponsive state.

Police said he died of blunt force trauma and had serious injuries and bruising on his body. They said the injuries were not accidental and believe they were suffered up to 12 hours before death.

There are three people of interest thought to be at the house at the time: Ru’s mother, Storm Angel Wall, and two members of the extended whānau.