Trio admits involvement in violent attack at New Plymouth motel, where they sought drugs

A man and his father were attacked at New Plymouth's Braemar Motor Inn in October 2022. Photo / Google Maps

A group’s mission to an emergency housing motel to score drugs took a savage turn when two of them launched an attack on a resident they believed was a “child molester”.

The victim had a knife held to his throat, causing a small cut, while he received multiple punches to his face, leaving him with bruising and a swollen eye.

On Thursday, Maxien Chand appeared in New Plymouth District Court where she was sentenced for her involvement in the attack.

Her co-offenders, Jay Paul Jorgen Andersen and Veronica Poa, had previously admitted their involvement.

According to the Crown’s summary of facts, Chand, Andersen and Poa arrived at the Braemar Motor Inn in New Plymouth shortly before midnight on October 23, 2022.

At the time, the motel was an emergency housing provider contracted by the Ministry of Social Development.

For about half an hour, the trio visited two upstairs motel units where they purchased drugs before Chand, 34, returned to their vehicle.

Andersen, 35, followed shortly after but briefly stopped to talk to a resident who was outside smoking a cigarette.

After their conversation, Andersen went to the car and spoke with Chand before heading back to the motel units where he found Poa, 34.

He and Poa returned to the car and talked with Chand and then headed back to the units, while Chand remained in the vehicle.

The pair went into the room of the resident who had been outside smoking, and as they did, Poa accused the man of being a child sex offender.

Andersen grabbed him and put a knife against his neck while Poa started punching the man in the face.

A struggle ensued and the man was dragged to the kitchen. His neck was cut by the knife in the process, and he later suffered a laceration to his hand.

During the assault, Poa was yelling abusive comments at the man, accusing him of being a child molester.

The man’s father, who was also staying at the motel, heard noises coming from the unit and went to investigate.

When he saw his son on the floor, he attempted to intervene but a struggle between him and Andersen ensued.

Poa and the man’s son soon joined the altercation and the parties proceeded to throw plastic chairs at one another.

At some point during the assaults, Chand had entered the unit and took an item from the room, which was not named in the summary of facts.

Back at the vehicle, she saw the fight continuing and yelled at Andersen and Poa to “come to the car”.

She then drove the group away from the scene. About an hour later, the car she had been driving was involved in a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 3, on the outskirts of New Plymouth.

Chand and Poa were found a short distance from the vehicle while Andersen was located in Taumarunui two months later and subsequently arrested.

In court on Thursday, Chand was sentenced to time served on an admitted charge of being an accessory after the fact.

Andersen has pleaded guilty to burglary and wounding with intent to injure, while Poa has admitted burglary and being a party to wounding.

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 where she covered crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.