Man jailed for partner's manslaughter

A High Court judge has sentenced a Kaingaroa Forest man who savagely beat his partner to more than six years for her manslaughter. File photo / NZ Herald

A Kaingaroa Forest man who savagely beat his partner after finding her on their bed kissing another man has been jailed for her manslaughter.

Gavin Horua, 35, was today in the High Court at Rotorua sentenced to six years three months jail by Justice John Priestley.

The judge ordered Horua spend a minimum of three years behind bars for the manslaughter of Luana Ani Raukawa at Kaingaroa on November 11, 2009.

He recommended Horua undergo psychological counselling and violence prevention programmes while behind bars.

Addressing whanau in the public gallery, Justice Priestley said he accepted they would regard the sentence as inadequate, however it was based on sound legal principles he was obliged to uphold.

He thanked whanau for their courtesy and attention throughout the trial.

Horua pleaded guilty to Ms Raukawa's manslaughter on the third day of his trial, which began on May 30.

At sentencing the judge said Horua's mother had been a victim of domestic violence.

"It is a great shame, despite lessons from your childhood you have chosen to follow the pattern of your father's behaviour," he told Horua.

He noted 11 of Horua's 48 previous convictions had been for breaching protection orders, assaulting a female, injuring and assault with intent to cause injury and assaulting a police officer.

He had not benefited from anger management programmes and it was understandable that Ms Raukawa's whanau had rejected his offer to take part in a restorative justice meeting with them. They had been robbed of a vibrant and caring woman.

Justice Priestley said he had no reason to disbelieve evidence that Ms Raukawa was kissing another man rather than being intimate with him when he saw them on a bed they shared as partners.

Regardless, Horua had totally "lost it".

He had dragged her into a hallway where he had inflicted blows to her head and various parts of her body. However, it was possible some of the injuries to Ms Raukawa's body could have been from two falls she'd had earlier in the evening while at a party celebrating the birthday of one of her daughters. Both she and Horua were heavily intoxicated.

A pathologist's evidence established she died of a relatively rare injury from a blow that caused her brain to bleed.

Outside the court Horua's aunt, Georgina Paerata, a retired nurse health-manager of Tokomaru Bay, described the sentence as fair.

"He has been tried by the courts of the land and the outcome is a fair judgment, as the judge said he has to go by the law," Mrs Paerata said.

Her family showed Ms Raukawa's family the greatest sympathy, empathy and respect.

Her husband, retired school teacher Te Rawhiti Paerata, said he really hoped lessons had been learned from the tragic event, in particular that over-consumption of alcohol results in unhappiness.

Ms Raukawa's whanau declined to comment publicly on Horua's sentence.

- NZPA