A man's black hat reportedly prompted gang members to stab him to death outside a party.

Jamaine​ Wharton was killed outside a 21st birthday party at the Waiohau Rugby Club, 40km south of Whakatāne, in February 2021.

His mother, Sherry Wharton, addressed the two men found guilty of killing him as they were sentenced in the High Court in Rotorua on Thursday.

'My son would probably forgive you, that's the kind of man Jamaine was, but we will never forgive you for taking one of our own on our whenua.”

Wharton was stabbed outside the Waiohau Rugby Club when Kayleb​ Renata and Roger Tutakangahau, both Mongrel Mob affiliates, appeared to take offence at a black hat he was wearing.

Renata, 18 now but 16 at the time, was found guilty of murder by a jury while Tutakangahau, 28, was found guilty of manslaughter.

Renata was sentenced to life with a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, while Tutakangahau was sentenced to five years and six months' imprisonment.

According to sentencing judge Justice Paul Davison, the pair had been drinking, consumed cannabis and began harassing people at the party, including Wharton.

Tutakangahau also confronted Wharton about his black hat, likely in the belief it represented a connection to the rival Black Power gang.

In fact, Wharton, a father of five, had no gang connections whatsoever.

Tensions appeared to have eased, before the two challenged Wharton to a fight.

Tutakangahau's mother also involved herself and 'continued to yell expletives, demanding Jamaine go outside for a one-out right with her son”.

Then the pair launched what was described as a 'sustained and savage beating” which saw Wharton chased through the clubhouse, and outside.

Tutakangahau was shouting at Renata 'get him dog, get him” as he was being punched, kicked and stomped on.

'This culminated with you [Renata] using a knife to stab him twice in the chest... You then bent over him and stabbed him a third time.”

Tutakangahau also bent over Wharton and told him 'that's what you get”.

Davison said Wharton was heard to say 'someone help me, I'm going to die”.

He was then taken to hospital but died on the way.

The court also heard an emotional victim impact statement from Wharton's partner Rachael Cairns, who wept throughout.

'I died with him. You killed both of us, you just forgot to bury me,” she said.

'No amount of justice fixes my home... We'll always have that empty place where Jamaine was supposed to be.

'I pray one day my hate for you subsides.”

Justice Davidson said the cultural report into Renata revealed he has been 'exposed to alcohol and substance abuse since your infancy”, beginning to smoke methamphetamine at 14.

He also said comments made by Renata, that he loved 'being mischievous, being bad, I thrive off it" suggested an anti-social mentality.

He said Renata would require a lot of rehabilitation before he could be back in the community without being 'a significant risk to the public”.

He said that for Tutakangahau, 'intimidation and mindless violence appears to be part of your life”.

He also referred to the victim impact statements read earlier.

'No sentence imposed on you can change the fact you have taken the life of a much loved partner, son, father... who will forever mourn his loss.”

-Benn Bathgate/Stuff.