A man who murdered an Auckland man in a brutal, callous attack with a thistle grubber has been jailed for life and won't be eligible for parole for at least another 21 years.
Wayne Bracken, 35, appeared in the High Court at Whangarei today for sentencing on charges of murder and kidnapping of Auckland man Jack Davis on February 25, last year, and charges of aggravated robbery, injuring with intent to injure and burglary of a Northland couple on an earlier occasion.
Bracken was found guilty of murdering and kidnapping Mr Davis after a seven-week jury trial in Whangarei earlier
this year.
His co-accused in the death of Mr Davis, Neville Dangen, 24, from Kaeo, was found not guilty on the charges. Mr Dangen was not involved in the aggravated robbery.
During the trial it emerged that Bracken had Davis hog tied, left him tied up in a woolshed for about 20 hours, then beat him to death with a thistle grubber, before leaving his body down a ravine off and isolated Northland road.