Prison guard sentenced to community work

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A prison guard who smuggled two packages of tobacco to a prisoner who was a former rugby league mate has been sentenced to community work.

Diaz Henry Minisita, 31, was sentenced in Auckland District Court today after earlier admitting two charges of smuggling contraband into prison.

He also admitted a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, a sawn-off rifle that he had hidden in his house after receiving threats while he was a prison officer.

Judge Jan Doogue sentenced Minisita to 400 hours community work on the lead charge, the unlawful possession of a firearm.

He was also sentenced to 200 hours' community work on the two contraband smuggling charges, which will be served concurrently.

Minisita admitted he took the tobacco in after a rugby league colleague asked him to.

After his arrest a warrant to search his home was issued, and it was during that search the sawn-off rifle was found.

Minisita said he had obtained the weapon after receiving threats during the course of his employment.

Judge Doogue said the smuggling was a breach of trust and other prison guards must be deterred from taking similar action.

"Prisoners do not get the kinds of privileges that they would get if their liberty had not been interfered with," she said.

"Your actions are undermining everything that the courts, the law and judges do."

However, she noted that the substance smuggled was not illegal and that he gained no monetary reward.

She said she saw his offending as of a moderate to low level, and that he had been assessed as of very low risk of reoffending.

Minisita was the second prison guard sentenced this year for smuggling.

Halo Tavana, 33, was last month given four months' home detention and ordered to do 200 hours community work after admitting six charges of smuggling contraband into prison.

- NZPA