Editorial: Jail time a victory for society

A lawyer in the High Court noted yesterday that it was virtually unheard of for a gang member to side with the Crown in a trial.

But that is what happened in an extraordinary courtroom drama played out at the High Court in Wellington.

This particular drama, which began as yet another chapter in the continuing saga of gang violence in Hawke's Bay, ended yesterday when 16 Mongrel Mob members were sent to jail for terms ranging from seven-and-a-half to three years.

The prison sentences are a result of a shootout at a Mob pad on the outskirts of Wairoa in 2010.

The outburst of violence was over who should lead the gang and it resulted in 23 men being arrested and three back-to-back trials in Wellington last November.

Two Mongrel Mob members turned Crown witness, an extremely rare event in the gang world. Not surprisingly, these men now fear for the safety of themselves and their families.

Their evidence sealed the fate of a number of gang members involved in the gunfight who would not otherwise have gone to trial and been jailed, said the Crown prosecutor.

During the sentencing, Justice Alan MacKenzie stressed repeatedly that the gang gunfight deserved "the highest level of denunciation".

A gang leader whose position had been challenged went to Napier to get reinforcements, including his son and brother. A convoy of at least six vehicles, some carrying firearms, drove back to Wairoa the next morning, for the showdown.

Of the gang members who were shot, one later died in hospital, although doctors said the cause of death was not the severe shotgun wounds to his face.

Wairoa - a lovely town which for far too long has had its reputation blighted by this sort of gang violence - can today celebrate a victory for decent society. Gang members who bash, rob, deal drugs and shoot each other are not welcome in our towns.

Today, there are 16 fewer such people living among us.