Home invasion victim's life sentence

A man who lost his eye in a brutal home invasion in 2013 faced his attackers today as he read his victim impact statement during their sentencing in Tauranga District Court today.

Tama Waitai, 27, Takatu Ahomiro 38, of Te Puke, and Carl Tremayne, 43, from Tauranga and Jay Beguely, 24, from Tirau, received lengthy sentences for their roles in a home invasion in Plummers Point in 2013.


Photo: File.

Ahomiro was sentenced to 12 years with a minimum non-parole period of eight years, while Waitai received 10 years and nine months with a minimum non-parole period of five years and three months.

Treymane was sentenced to 10 years jail with a minimum non-parole period of five years. He was also ordered to pay $20,000 reparation to the victim.

Beguely was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison with a minimum non-parole period of five years and three months.

They were charged with committing burglary with a weapon, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, injuring with intent to injure and threatening to kill.

Tremayne faced two counts of each charge.

There was not a seat left in the court room during sentencing for the vicious attack on December 22, 2013, at a Plummers Point home.

The four men were found guilty at a trial last year of bursting into the victim's home and beating him and his son while armed with a torch, a pinch bar and knuckle dusters.

The victim was beaten so badly he received skull fractures and had to have his eye surgically removed.

'He is now losing vision in his remaining eye and it looks like he will be blind by the end of the year,” says Detective Constable Matt Valentine.

Speaking to SunLive after the sentencing, Matt says Beguely, Waitai, Ahomiro and Tremayne got a bit aggressive as they were taken back to the cells.

Despite his ailing vision, the victim stood up and read his own victim impact statement and spoke about his injuries.

'He spoke about the fact that he was an award-winning cabinet making and plumber and now both of those careers have now been ripped away from him.” says Matt.

'He mentioned that he is the only one to receive a life sentence in that court room as he is still suffering nightmares from the attack.”

Matt says a case like this sends a message to the community that this sort of offending will not be tolerated.

'Both the police and the judicial system will come down hard on this type of behaviour,” he adds.

'It created a lot of alarm bells in the community at the time and we received a lot of calls from people concerned that it was a trend.”

Matt says the conviction is good because it's hard to get a conviction in gang trials as people are usually afraid to stand up to their attackers as there is often a shadow of intimidation.

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5 comments

Sentence too soft

Posted on 27-03-2015 15:56 | By Annalist

The victim has a life sentence but these scumbags get out after a few years, given the chances of parole. Not only do they get out but they can probably go on benefits. What a stupid society we live in. We're taken for mugs by criminal scum and through weak laws and judiciary we allow it to happen.


Annalist

Posted on 27-03-2015 16:31 | By DAD

Well said!


Scum

Posted on 27-03-2015 20:25 | By joe p

You are right Annalist, a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket for the 4 scumbags, while the victim has a life sentence, plus the trauma his son must face every day. If these scum can get parole after 5 years the punishment is an ass, 10 years is 10 years in my book, they will go to jail, meet all their mates & discuss their next criminal act when they get out. Gangs should be stamped-out, they are just a bunch of criminals who intimidate honest hard working people when they can't get their own way, flout the law & hold hard working police to ransom because our LAWS are too bloody soft.


Bring

Posted on 27-03-2015 21:06 | By Capt_Kaveman

back hanging and all of them at that


ANAList

Posted on 28-03-2015 21:13 | By iconoclastic

I'm disturbed by these stereotypical idealism's for lawful justice.... & a tad confused. Would you rather them spend life in jail at an average cost of $60K p/a when you clearly have issues with their entitlement to a benefit of less than $14K p/a? Furthermore,10-12 year sentences are not light for this type of serious, violent offending & the MPI (Non-parole period) is given so they are unable to apply for parole after 1/3 as is with ALL sentences over 2 years under section 107 of the parole act 2002. I highly recommend researching of the NZ justice system & sentencing acts. Then perhaps, rather than wasting comments on this site, be constructive and contact your local electorate with your abhorrent concerns on how you're being taken for a mug.


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