Geoffery Karipa, pictured in the Whanganui Chronicle in 2020, has been jailed for a brutal assault on a man in South Taranaki.
Geoffery Karipa, pictured in the Whanganui Chronicle in 2020, has been jailed for a brutal assault on a man in South Taranaki.
A man who pulled up outside a restaurant to collect his takeaway food was beaten and had his head stomped on by a diner, leaving him convulsing and fighting for his life.
The attacker, former experienced lifeguard Geoffrey Karipa, returned to the victim and placed him in a recovery position before fleeing the scene with his kids who had witnessed the brutal assault that shut down a South Taranaki town’s business hub for several hours.
Exactly what triggered the violent attack remains unknown but a “red mist” engulfed the 36-year-old when he saw the victim and another man, both of whom he knew, park outside Yummy’s Takeaways on High St in Hāwera on November 6 last year.
Karipa was inside the restaurant with his ex-partner and their young children eating dinner at the time, the New Plymouth District Court heard on Monday.
He started yelling about the victim and attempted to leave the restaurant to confront him but his ex-partner blocked the door to stop him.
The victim was on the street yelling back at Karipa who continued to struggle with his ex before he pushed her to the side and made his way out the door.
Karipa grabbed a chalkboard and threatened to throw it at the victim as his ex pulled him back by his clothing.
He eventually made his way to the victim and a physical altercation ensued between Karipa, the victim, the victim’s friend, and allegedly another person who arrived at the scene in a vehicle.
Karipa threw several punches at the victim’s head and upper body as the victim tried to defend himself by kicking out.
The victim was then allegedly kicked in the head by the man who had turned up in the vehicle, followed by another punch from Karipa.
The blows caused him to fall to the ground and the alleged second offender left the scene.
While the victim was lying motionless on the ground, Karipa walked up to him and stomped on his head before returning to the restaurant.
He remained on the ground convulsing while Karipa watched on. He then ran back to the victim and put him in the recovery position.
Karipa left with his children as members of the public approached the victim to help him.
The attack occurred around 7pm in full view of the public and CCTV cameras that caught the violence.
Police closed part of the town’s main street until late the following morning while Taranaki CIB worked to examine the scene. About 10 businesses within the cordon were unable to open.
As a result of the attack, the victim was flown to Waikato Hospital and placed in an induced coma. He was not expected to survive at that stage.
His injuries included brain haematomas, severe concussion and a fractured nose in three places.
A ‘violent footprint’
In court, Judge Michael Crosbie said the victim, who was present at Kapira’s sentencing hearing, was “very lucky to be here”.
However, he continued to suffer the effects of the attack, including headaches, memory loss, behavioural changes, and issues concentrating.
Geoffrey Karipa was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court. Photo / Tara Shaskey
Judge Crosbie described the attack as extreme and said it was unknown what provoked it.
“I don’t know whether it was because of something from the past or words that were said...”
He said the offending involved a low degree of premeditation as Karipa was “overcome by something of a red mist” but also ignored his ex-partner’s pleas for him to stop.
Karipa had a “violent footprint”, the judge said, stating his history comprised “quite a lot of violence in there – around 25 convictions”.
The attack also occurred while he was subject to a sentence of supervision and while on bail for another random attack.
“You’re going to need some help to deal with that footprint. Real help. And that will be, possibly, even one-on-one psychological counselling. Somehow, someway, that cycle has to be broken,” Judge Crosbie told Karipa.
He said Karipa had learned violence by watching it when he was growing up.
“Your kids saw this happen. So they’re learning violence, too. We’re talking about the cycle, and it repeats.”
Karipa wiped tears from his eyes as the judge told him he would always be a father to his children, and that they needed to see him make a change.
“Because that is a signal to them that what you did is not okay. All of that is going to require some hard work.”
Judge Crosbie said a letter penned by Karipa showed he was up to making those changes.
He has been doing well on remand and was remorseful, the judge said. Karipa has the ability to hold down a job and was previously involved with Surf Lifesaving for almost two decades. He has not worked as a lifeguard for the past three years.
However, Karipa showed limited ability to control his violent outbursts and was not cognisant of his behaviour or how it impacted his children.
He has issues with alcohol and drugs and his likelihood of reoffending was assessed as high.
On charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assaults with intent to injure, Judge Crosbie took a start point of seven years and six months and then applied an uplift of 12 months for Karipa’s previous convictions and for offending while on sentence.
Following credit for his guilty pleas and his background factors, he was imprisoned for six years and five months.
Another man was charged in relation to the attack and remains before the court.
Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.
