Court documents state that Patolo and Parker were neighbours and both had been fitted with ankle bracelets for unrelated non-custodial sentences when they targeted victim Ahmed Al-Obaidy in October 2024.
In the months before he was found dead in the middle of Pt England Rd – having been stabbed and run over with his own car – Al-Obaidy had been in contact with Parker over social media. He had arranged to meet her that night for sex in exchange for cash, alcohol and tobacco, court documents state.
Amy Parker appears in the High Court at Auckland in October 2024, after she was charged with murder. She and co-defendant Joseph Patolo have since pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Photo / Michael Craig
“Should we do this [racial expletive] over…????” she had messaged another person on Facebook after arranging the meeting, suggesting that they “take his car and all of his stuff, ayy”.
Al-Obaidy picked up Parker in his BMW X5 station wagon around 9pm after having purchased beer, wine and cigarettes and having withdrawn $100 cash, court documents state. The two went to one of Al-Obaidy’s vacant rental homes in Unsworth Heights before picking up Patolo and another person under the pretence of attending a party together at around 10.30pm.
Shortly thereafter, the planned robbery occurred.
Patolo had been made aware of the plan before he got into the vehicle, Parker alleges in her agreed summary of facts. However, that assertion was not included in the document that Patolo agreed to.
Like Parker, he had “foiled” his electronic ankle monitor so that authorities could not track him.
“As they were driving, Mr Al-Obaidy repeatedly asked the defendants not to hurt him,” Patolo and Parker both agreed.
The victim parked the BMW adjacent to Pt England Reserve and Patolo got out of the back passenger seat, walking around to the driver’s seat.
“He leaned into the vehicle and assaulted Mr Al-Obaidy by punching him repeatedly,” the summary of facts state, explaining that he then stepped away.
Joseph Patolo appears in the High Court at Auckland in October 2024, after he was charged with participating in the robbery and murder of businessman Ahmed Al-Obaidy. Photo / Michael Craig
Details of what is alleged to have happened next cannot yet be reported, but the result was that Al-Obaidy suffered two potentially fatal injuries: a single stab wound to his abdomen and crush-type injuries from being run over.
The next day, Patolo discussed the investigation and what to tell authorities in case they were identified as suspects, according to messages that would later be uncovered by police.
“We were only supposed to rob him,” Patolo said later that day, according to a CCTV recording that was also obtained by police.
On the second day after the homicide, Patolo confided to his partner what had happened.
“They then informed Mr Patolo’s probation officer, who contacted police,” court documents state.
In subsequent police interviews, Patolo and Parker both admitted to being present when Al-Obaidy received his fatal injuries. Patolo denied, however, being part of a plan to rob the victim.
Patolo and Parker are set to be sentenced together, although a firm date for the hearing has not yet been set. Both remain in custody.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
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