KEY POINTS:
Three Gisborne Mongrel Mob associates were today jailed for a total of 25 years after a rival Black Power member had his thumb sliced off by a machete.
The victim and his family were walking along a Gisborne street last November when they were confronted by the trio resulting in one of them swinging a machete, slicing off a thumb.
Crown prosecutor Russell Collins said the machete was only inches from his head.
He could have been killed leaving a judge no option but to sentence the four offenders to life imprisonment.
In Gisborne District Court today, Joshua Anaru Stafford, 20 and Rongomai Timothy Taiapa, 21, were each jailed for nine years after being convicted by a jury of being a party - with Cohen Rawiri Irwin - to injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Irwin, 23, who used the machete, was jailed for seven years after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He was entitled to a significant discount for his guilty plea, Judge Mark Perkins said.
Vernon Percy Mei Waihape, 18, was acquitted on the charge of injuring with intent to cause grievously bodily harm, but was convicted on an alternative charge of being a party to wounding with intent to injure.
He was sentenced to nine months home detention and 200 hours community work.
Taiapa and Waihape were also convicted of possessing an offensive weapon while Stafford was convicted on two counts of assault with a weapon.
Mr Collins said the law-abiding community was fearful of such crime.
Many neighbours who witnessed the attack feared giving evidence and had to be summonsed by the court.
Judge Perkins said there was an element of gang warfare in the incident and a starting point of between nine years and 11 years in jail was appropriate for three of the offenders.
Street violence of "this nature" would not be tolerated and the people of Gisborne were entitled go about their lawful business without fear, he said.
- NZPA
