Gail Shepherd was a popular police officer in the Far North also known for her commitment to kaupapa waka.
Photo: Supplied / NZ Police

A Northland man has been charged with causing the death of an off-duty police officer hit by a car while she was walking beside a rural road.

Gail Shepherd, 49, was the sole charge constable at Kohukohu for several years, and had just transferred to Pukenui, New Zealand’s northernmost police station.

She died at Helena Bay, north of Whangārei, on 20 April as she was walking a relative’s dogs.

The vehicle that struck her, near the corner of Russell Road and Webb Road, also downed a power pole.

The alleged 32-year-old driver appeared in Whangārei District Court on Wednesday, facing a charge of reckless driving causing death.

The man, who has interim name suppression, is due back in court on 12 August.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail or a $20,000 fine.

Shepherd was born in Kaitāia and started her police career in Whangārei in 2007 before taking on the senior constable position in Kohukohu, in the far-flung North Hokianga area.

At the start of 2024, she moved to Pukenui to replace her brother, Leon “Smiley” Shepherd, as the nation’s northernmost police officer.

Photo: SUPPLIED

Northland’s police commander, Superintendent Matt Srhoj, described her as “a very experienced frontline officer” whose death was “a huge loss for her family, friends and police colleagues”.

“She was a much-loved mother, grandmother and friend to so many, and those who had the privilege of knowing her will feel her loss immensely.”

She was praised by Far North Mayor Moko Tepania – who highlighted her commitment to keeping the people of North Hokianga safe during Cyclone Gabrielle – and Police Minister Mark Mitchell.

Shepherd was also highly regarded in Northland’s waka community.

For close to a decade, she was at the helm of the waka tētē Te Whānau Moana, steering the canoe at the annual Waitangi Day commemorations and guiding young paddlers in kaupapa waka.

She was farewelled with a full police service and guard of honour in Whangārei, followed by a tangi at Pōtahi Marae in Te Kao, north of Kaitāia.

Both of the dogs she was walking survived.