A man has been sentenced to eight years and 10 months in prison for his part in an armed robbery and threatening police with a firearm.
Alex Tereora, 32, was sentenced at the High Court in Auckland today after pleading guilty to three charges, including assault with a weapon, aggravated robbery and attempting to use a firearm against a law enforcement officer.
The charges were in relation to a series of incidents in June 2012.
Tereroa took part in the armed robbery of a 51-year-old's Papatoetoe home on June 3, with two co-offenders.
The men smashed a window on the property and broke in. When the owner arrived home, he was dragged from his car in the driveway and tied up inside.
The men stole property from the man up to the value of $3,500 and left him tied up on the floor.
Five days later Tereora arrived at another woman's home with another man and demanded her daughter get in the car. The woman refused and Tereora pointed a pistol at her. The woman screamed at him and the two men fled.
Six days later Tereora was pulled over at a police stop and tried to flee in his vehicle. When an officer got in the car to take the keys, Tereora tried to pull a pistol from his jacket and told the policeman, "you're going to get it".
After several struggles with police, Tereora was arrested.
At his sentencing today, defence lawyer Soana Moala told the court "there is some good" in her client.
She said Tereora, who is the father of a seven-year-old boy, is a great dad when he is off alcohol and drugs.
"He has not been able to be the father that his son needs – he understands that," Ms Moala said.
The Judge issued a start point of nine-and-a-half years, but given Tereora's guilty plea, it was reduced. However, a minimum non-parole period of five years was imposed.
Tereora has also been linked to an incident in February last year at the Mt Eden summit where four Asian tourists were threatened at robbed.
He will stand trial in February next year for charges in relation to that incident, including a police pursuit which followed where he allegedly choked a police dog.
3 News
source: newshub archive
