A Tokoroa couple has been jailed after two children were ill-treated, abused and abducted from care.
Elizabeth Tanya Matangi, 33, was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court today to a total of 3 years and 10 months in prison.
She had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of abducting the children from Child, Youth and Family care, for which she received 2 years and 4 months. The remaining 18 months were for charges of wilful ill-treatment, assault on a child and assault with a weapon. Matangi pleaded guilty to the two ill-treatment charges on the morning of trial and was found guilty by a jury on the remaining charges.
Her partner Stanley Williard Hamon, 46, was also sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of threatening to kill, assault with a weapon and wilful ill-treatment of both children.
The offending happened between 2000 and 2011 in Tokoroa, Rotorua, Auckland, Putaruru and elsewhere in New Zealand.
