Naya Wharekura sentenced to life for Invercargill murder of young father Chad Parekura

Naya Wharekura fatally stabbed Chad Parekura in central Invercargill. Photo / NZ Police

When a drug dealer sought payment for half a gram of MDMA, the confrontation turned deadly.

The dealer, Austin Jazz McGregor, survived being stabbed by his customer, but his friend Chad Parekura died, leaving behind a grieving family and a young son.

Now, Naya Ropiu Fabian Wharekura is behind bars for at least 13 years for the murder and attempted murder of the pair, after his sentencing in the High Court at Invercargill yesterday.

In the publicly-released sentencing notes of Justice Paul Radich, it detailed how on the evening of April 23, 2022, Wharekura went into the Invercargill urban area to purchase half a gram of MDMA for $150 from McGregor.

While McGregor gave him the drugs, Wharekura did not pay him the full amount agreed.

After leaving the city with his associates, the 29-year-old allegedly began receiving threatening messages from McGregor about the non-payment for the drugs.

There were demands for Wharekura to return to town to sort it out, the judge wrote.

“From the tone and content of the messages, you expected to face a group of people on your return.”

Wharekura and his associates headed back into the city but before he left, he armed himself with an 18cm-bladed kitchen knife.

Word got back to McGregor, who was inside Tillerman’s bar with friends, including Parekura, that Wharekura and his associates were returning.

As Wharekura, a member of the Black Power gang, walked down Don St, his associates followed in a car.

Parekura ran out towards Wharekura ahead of McGregor and their associates, who were walking, and appeared to adopt a fighting stance.

Wharekura responded by swiftly stabbing Parekura, who was unarmed, in the torso.

Chad Parekura, pictured with his son Tatum-Reign Parekura, "could light up a room". Photo / Supplied

He then turned his attention to McGregor and stabbed him. McGregor was also unarmed and had not endeavoured to fight.

While McGregor sustained significant injuries, he survived. Parekura did not.

At trial, Wharekura accepted he stabbed the men but maintained he had no intention to kill them.

But the jury rejected this and determined he was guilty of murder and attempted murder.

Three victim impact statements were read at the sentencing – they were from Parekura’s sister Bridget Lahman, his aunt Marcia Waikato and the mother of his child.

They all described the immense pain they had experienced at the loss of Parekura.

Lahman said Parekura had turned his life around and had a positive outlook on life, while Waikato said her nephew could “light up a room”.

She spoke of the warmth he had in his heart and the indescribable pain his family was feeling.

The mother of Parekura’s son said the actions of Wharekura had stripped their child of his father and his innocence.

The Crown submitted a start point of 14 years’ imprisonment and pointed out Wharekura was on parole for an aggravated robbery at the time of the murder.

Defence lawyer Sonia Vidal submitted that the victims’ conduct had contributed to the tragic outcome.

Justice Paul Radich did not accept that submission.

He accepted that Wharekura received threats but that they were before he arrived at Don St.

“Rather than a group of people running to attack you, there was a single person, Mr Parekura, running towards you,” Justice Radich said.

“He did not present a serious threat. He was alone and unarmed. His associates were walking at a slower pace or were standing and talking with your associates.

“Mr Parekura adopted what has been referred to as a fighting stance, yes, but there was no indication whatsoever that he had a weapon.

“Your response in stabbing him with the large knife you carried was quite out of proportion to any potential threat Mr Parekura posed.”

A pre-sentence report assessed Wharekura as being at a high risk of further violent offending, especially around harm from amphetamines, an addiction he developed after he moved to Australia at 19 for work.

When he later returned to New Zealand he reconnected with people from his past who had become involved in gang life and criminal activities.

During his time in New Zealand prisons, Wharekura has amassed several misconducts, including 11 for tattooing, seven for possession of home brew, two for possession of non-prescribed medication and one for fighting, offensive behaviour toward staff, and possession of razor blades and cannabis oil.

Justice Radich did not accept Wharekura was remorseful and noted that his insistence he was acting in self-defence undermined any acceptance of his actions.

Wharekura was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum period of imprisonment of 13 years and three months.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.