KEY POINTS:
Three brothers attacked a man while he slept after mistakenly believing he had raped their sister, police say.
Blaize Akuhata, 27, Waiaohau, Trinity Arona Akuhata, 20, Murupara and Vincent Poai Akuhata, 29, Murupara, all unemployed, yesterday pleaded guilty to injuring Delmar Coates with intent to caused grievous bodily harm.
The trio, who are the sons of a Murupara church leader, had appeared for a depositions hearing on charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault with a weapon.
However, police withdrew the charges after they pleaded guilty to the new charge.
Police say Mr Coates was at his Matai Rd home in Murupara with his partner Te Ariki Paul and their 17-month- old son.
About midday on June 10 the Akuhatas went to Mr Coates' house but he was asleep on the couch.
Ms Paul went to the door to see what the men wanted and one of the Akuhatas pulled the ranch slider wide open and they forced their way in.
Trinity Akuhata was carrying a baseball bat and the three brothers began yelling and swearing at Mr Coates while he slept.
They mistakenly believed he had raped their sister.
Ms Paul pleaded with the men to stop acting the way they were in front of her young son but the three men began attacking Mr Coates.
Trinity Akuhata hit Mr Coates several times around the face and head with the baseball bat while his brothers kicked and punched him. The little boy started to go to his father but his mother grabbed him and as she did she was hit in the elbow with the baseball bat.
By this stage Mr Coates was moaning and bleeding profusely and the Akuhatas left.
Mr Coates spent three days in hospital. He had broken nose, multiple rib fractures, bruised kidney, a cut and bruising to his left eye.
Ms Paul received minor injuries to her elbow.
Police spoke to the three men the next day but they did not explain why they attacked Mr Coates.
One of the three men's lawyers said the men had no previous convictions and were the sons of a minister at Murupara. From the outset they had been prepared to plead guilty once the appropriate charge was laid.
Judge Jocelyn Munro referred the men to Mana Social Services for the restorative justice programme to be considered and ordered pre-sentence reports to assist the sentencing judge.
The three men have been remanded on bail for sentencing on December 3 and have been told that as part of their bail conditions they are not to go within 100m of Matai Rd in Murupara.
- DAILY POST
