Moko’s killers lucky to have got only 17 years

3rd March 2017
Moko Rangitoheriri was bashed and stomped to death over a lengthy period by Tania Shailer and her boyfriend David Haerewa – two sub-humans who were supposed to be caring for the little boy and his sister in their mother’s absence. In a deal which remains inexplicable, the original charges of murder laid against the pair were withdrawn and replaced with manslaughter charges, to which the killers both pleaded guilty – no doubt with alacrity.

They were sentenced to 17 years in jail, believed to be the longest sentence for the manslaughter of a child ever handed down. Inevitably, they both appealed. Today the Court of Appeal rejected their pathetic arguments against their well deserved sentences, and said they were lucky not to get the maximum of life imprisonment.

“Sensible Sentencing, along with all decent New Zealanders, applauds the decision of the Court of Appeal today” said Sensible Sentencing Trust founder Garth McVicar.

“We are not slow to criticize Judges when we feel criticism is justified; equally we believe praise is due when they get it right. I have seen the Court of Appeal’s judgment and it is pretty clear that they weren’t having a bar of the killers’ pathetic excuses, and went further by noting that they were lucky not to get life” McVicar said.

“That the Judges took that unusual step is surely a message to those prosecuting such horrific killings of children and to the Judges in the courts below: firstly that in a case such as this murder is the correct charge, and secondly if charges are reduced to manslaughter for whatever reason, the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for manslaughter may well be appropriate.” said Mc Vicar.

“We currently have a petition before parliament which seeks a fundamental change to the way plea bargaining is done. In short, we believe the kind of shabby deal that was done behind closed doors in this case should have to be signed off before a High Court Judge who must approve or reject it, rather than it simply being presented as a fait accompli, as this was before the sentencing Judge last winter.”

“The Court of Appeal has confirmed that Her Honour Justice Katz did what she could – indeed they gently suggest she could have been even stricter. Justice Katz could do nothing about the deal put in front of her – we don’t want to see that situation again. We want a sentencing Judge to have the comfort of knowing that another High Court Judge has reviewed the deal before him or her, and found it met the needs of justice.” McVicar said.

“Ideally we would rather there were no more Mokos. Sadly it seems they will keep happening until we fundamentally overhaul our society to once again make the values of our parents and grandparents the prevailing values of society. We know we might be in for a long wait. In the meantime, at the very least we can punish vermin such as Shailer and Haerewa properly. The Court of Appeal’s decision makes that much more likely in the future when sadly inevitably, a similar case comes before the courts.” ENDS
http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/judgments/court-of-appeal

© Scoop Media