A group of four found guilty of murdering a disabled Wairarapa man in a revenge killing will spend at least 17 years behind bars.
In March a jury found Tariana Jones, 32, Matthew McKinney, 29, Hayden Ranson, 27, and Kristofer Jones, 23, guilty of murdering Featherston man Glen Jones.
McKinney and Ranson pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary.
The jury also found the others and another woman, 23-year-old Toni Miller guilty of aggravated burglary. Miller was not charged with murder, because he waited on the footpath while the others entered the house with a wooden bat and axe handle.
The group appeared for sentencing in the Wellington High Court this morning before Justice Alan MacKenzie in a packed courtroom.
All four were sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 17 years for murder and also sentenced to 10 years concurrently for the aggravated burglary. Miller was given an eight-year prison sentence for the aggravated burglary.
Mr Jones was beaten to death in his Featherston home early on January 12 last year. He died in Wellington Hospital five hours later after receiving massive head injuries.
The Crown contended the murder was a vigilante attack after members of the group had heard Mr Jones, a supermarket worker, had raped their friend.
Outside court, Mr Jones' brother Brent thanked authorities, Victim Support, family and friends for their support following the death.
"An event like this can either bring a family together or tear it apart and without the help of all the family and friends who have supported us, we could have been the latter," he says.
He says the group will always be known as murderers who killed his brother.
"These animals will now and forever more be known as the murderers of a handicapped, harmless, defenceless and completely innocent man."
Crown Prosecutor Grant Burston says it should be inevitable those found guilty of murder and aggravated burglary should be sentenced to life imprisonment.
"There are no circumstances of the offence or the prisoners that would make the sentence of life imprisonment manifestly unjust," he told the court.
He argued the group were equally culpable and there is no reason to distinguish their different roles in the murder.
Mr Burston said Mr Jones had been taken by surprise, outnumbered and unable to defend himself during the attack.
The murder was also calculated and pre-meditated because the group travelled to get weapons and the car was parked in a place where they could return to it after the attack without being seen, he says.
"Many murders occur in the heat of the moment, this murder did not."
Justice MacKenzie labelled the attack "frenzied" and "fuelled by alcohol and a mob mentality".
He agreed there were few mitigating factors in the violent death and said all defence counsel had sought to downplay their respective clients' role in the death.
He also took time to clear Mr Jones' name and reputation following the accusation of rape against him.
Justice MacKenzie said the investigation into the rape complaint was "thorough and timely" and found no evidence to support the alleged complainant's claim, however the investigation could not be finalised because of Mr Jones' death.
"You took it upon yourselves to take vigilante action. That is never acceptable."
It would have made no difference had the allegation had substance or not, he said.
The complainant had asked the group not to do anything about her claim and to leave it to police to investigate.
3 News
source: newshub archive
