KEY POINTS:
Three Gisborne Mongrel Mob associates were today given jail terms for their part in an assault outside a bar in August 2005 which ended in a man being stabbed to death.
Albert Tipu Atkins, 22, Poi Colin Taylor, 25, and Ossie Paretene Aupouri, 26, appeared for sentence on separate charges of injuring with intent to cause grievous injury, before Justice John Wild in the High Court at Napier.
The trio was originally convicted of manslaughter last year following the death of Black Power member Anton Newcomb outside the Irish Rover bar in Gisborne.
Another man, Juan Marcus Arron Sullivan, was convicted of Mr Newcomb's murder.
However, the three had appeals against their convictions upheld earlier this year by the Court of Appeal.
The Crown decided against a retrial on the manslaughter charges and the three instead pleaded guilty to lesser charges of injuring with intent.
Today, Taylor was sentenced to two years and six months' jail while Atkins and Aupouri were each sentenced to two years' jail.
Justice Wild said he accepted that Taylor had been planning only a fist fight but that kicking and bottles had also become involved.
He told Atkins that the Mongrel Mob appeared to have featured strongly in his upbringing, noting he had shown flair as a rugby player but had not capitalised on his talents.
Justice Wild said he accepted that Aupouri had shown remorse for what was an unpremeditated attack which had unexpectedly resulted in a death.
- NZPA
