Three Tauranga concreters who earlier admitted to robbing the Matua Dairy of $50 worth of goods have all been jailed for more than two years.

Matthew Kingi, 27, was handed the lengthiest sentence of four years and five months for his part in the robbery on the night of May 27.

Matthew Kingi, Tuhukia Mahia and Shaun Mahia appear for sentencing in Tauranga District Court. Photo: Luke Balvert.

Brothers Tuhukia Mahia, 18, and Shaun Mahia, 18, were sentenced to three years and two months jail, and two years and seven months jail respectively when they appeared in Tauranga District Court this afternoon.

All three appeared for sentencing on the charge of aggravated robbery in front of a packed public gallery of family and Matua community residents.

According to the summary of facts, Tuhukia Mahia, who was 17 at the time, was driving along Levers Road on May 27 when he pitched the idea of robbing the dairy to the other two passengers.

He drove the three of them back to his nearby home where Kingi and Shaun Mahia changed into different clothing. Tuhukia Mahia then drove back and parked in close proximity to the dairy.

Kingi, armed with a heavy length galvanised pipe and Shaun Mahia, carrying a car jack handle, then entered the store about 6.25pm.

The pair approached the 23-year-old attendant, who was working in the store alone, and demanded he open the cash register.

Kingi distracted the victim by smashing a candy stand with a pipe, while Shaun Mahia leaped over the counter and confronted the worker.

When the worker refused to hand over the till Shaun Mahia struck him with the car jack handle five times – on the head and forearms. He received swelling and bruising to the top of his head as well as to both arms.

Kingi and Mahia then took three packets of cigarettes, phone cards and confectionary worth about $50 and fled the store. The whole attack lasted a total of 30 seconds, Judge David Cameron told the court.

The pair went to the waiting car driven by Tuhukia Mahia and took off.

A member of the public noticed the pair fleeing to the vehicle and contacted police, who were able to track the vehicle and arrest the trio in Mount Maunganui about 10 minutes after the robbery.

In sentencing Judge Cameron started with six years' imprisonment due to the degree of planning and pre-meditation to the robbery.

'Actual violence was conducted on the shopkeeper and the blows were directed to the head with a car jack handle, which in the wrong hands can be a lethal weapon,” says Judge Cameron.

He notes Kingi was on a sentence of supervision, community detention and community work at the time of the attack and therefore increased his sentence by six months. The sentence was then reduced by 30 per cent for guilty plea and genuine remorse.

The trio are each ordered to pay $100 reparation and are disqualified from driving for two years starting today.