Hawke's Bay gang man assaulted deaf strangers over communication difficulties

Hohepa was sentenced in Hastings District Court.

Billy Poia Hohepa wasn't known for much in the way of violence, until he bashed two deaf strangers because of a t-shirt one of them was wearing.

For the attack at a Flaxmere service station forecourt on June 23 Hohepa, 30, was on Wednesday sentenced to six months' jail.

He had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of assault after punching and kicking on his perplexed victims.

Judge Geoff Rea said in the Hastings District Court that Hohepa was fortunate he hadn't been charged with something more serious.

According to a summary, the victims were refuelling their car when Hohepa approached, presenting himself as a gang member and expressing annoyance that a t-shirt worn by one victim appeared to make a link to a rival gang, although neither man was associated with any gang.

Apparently frustrated by communication difficulties, Hohepa then launched into the attack, with at least 10 punches and five kicks striking one of the victims before a similarly prolific assault on the second man, during which another man with Mongrel Mob links arrived and also assaulted one of the men.

Many of the punches were directed at the faces and heads of the victim, who managed to thwart the second attacker's attempts to remove the t-shirt. Both victims were bruised but not seriously injured, although one also had cuts and required medical treatment.

Arriving through the courtroom's public entrance, having been on bail in the hope of a restorative justice meeting with the victims, Hohepa barely flinched as Judge Rea decided he could deal with it on the day and sent him through another door, to prison.

A second offender, Jade Eriha, 32, of Hastings, was on Wednesday still wanted by police after failing to appear for sentence on one charge of assault last week.

He had driven off after failing to take the t-shirt during the assault, but was eventually arrested and pleaded guilty when he did appear in court, in August.