Waikeria prison riots: 16 of 17 prisoners jailed for $50m destruction

They were in prison for a wide variety of offences. Some had histories of violence or drug offending. One even had a high-ranking position within a gang.

But when the riots broke out in Waikeria prison a group of inmates subtly took on new roles including the instigators, the negotiator and the followers.

As for Mongol gang member and aspiring poet Christopher Matatahi, he was just three months shy of finishing his sentence, so close he could probably taste the freedom that awaited.

Nearly three years after the worst prison riot the country has ever seen, all but one of the 17 involved have now been jailed.

The sole remaining defendant, who has interim name suppression, will go on trial next year.

The riot amassed more than $50 million in damage as the high-security unit was burnt to the ground between December 29, 2020 and January 3, 2021.

It started after an inmate in what was dubbed “Yard 116″ was spotted with razor blades around 9.30am, and when asked to return them, he refused. The issue, at least as far as Corrections officers thought, was seemingly sorted.

But a few hours later, tempers flared again.

One prisoner set about targeting CCTV cameras; wetting toilet paper and throwing it at them, furniture and other items were broken and then set on fire, before two inmates stood on a toilet and smashed their way onto the roof using a piece of wood. Seven other inmates followed.

The group then used items such as battering rams to smash 12 cell windows, which resulted in eight Mongol gang members joining the fray, and boosting the riot numbers to 17.

The prisoners later smashed their way into the guard room and stole body armour, shields, binoculars, and equipment including a grinder.

By January 2, the fire continued to sweep through the facility. Furniture used to barricade themselves inside was fire alight, forcing Corrections and emergency services staff to retreat and get pelted with a plethora of objects on their way.

The fires continued to burn through to the next morning when the inmates finally gave themselves up.

During their sentencings, many defendants argued their culpability should be reduced because of conditions at the prison, which they dubbed “substandard”.

However, Justice Christine Gordon told each of them that argument had already been rejected by three High Court judges and would be rejected by her too.

‘Deliberately dangerous’

A 26-year-old, who has continued interim name suppression, labelled as one of two key instigators alongside Matangairau Cuff, was jailed for eight years and nine months on 18 charges.

He was heard yelling “burn it up, burn it up” in Yard 116 and was the one caught on camera throwing the wet toilet paper at security cameras.

He was then second out onto the roof, following Cuff after the pair smashed their way through the toilet ceiling.

Throughout the riot, he was also caught on CCTV throwing firey pieces of debris onto the ground toward Corrections officers and emergency services staff, and later high-fiving fellow defendants once the fires took hold.

“Your actions were deliberately dangerous,” Justice Gordon told him, “and intended to make contact with the bodies of Corrections officers and firefighters, and in at least one instance they did so.”

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Mann opposed any discount for the man’s youth given the many days he was entrenched inflicting damage, as opposed to it being more impulsive conduct.

His defence counsel Ish Jayanandan successfully argued otherwise, adding he was still young and capable of rehabilitation.

He had also been incapacitated without any opportunity yet to take part in any courses, during his nearly three years on remand.

Ian Larkins was jailed for seven years and 10 months for his role in the Waikeria prison riots. Photo / Belinda Feek

‘Foster care at 11, addicted to meth at 17′

Ian Larkins, a 501 deportee, was in the middle of serving a seven-year jail term handed down in 2020, when the riot took place.

He was freed from his cell by the rampaging inmates.

He went to trial but pleaded guilty after a month on three amalgamated charges of arson causing danger to life, riotous damage, and assault with a weapon.

The court heard Larkins was brought up in New Plymouth before moving with family to Australia when aged about 4.

Larkins, a father-of-two, was put into foster care aged 11, expelled from school about 12, drinking alcohol at 13, was doing crime at 14, and became addicted to meth aged 17.

He was deported back to New Zealand in 2019 and felt lost, so joined the Mongols. However, he now wants to get clean and be free from prison.

Larkins was jailed for seven years and 10 months, cumulative on his current seven-year term.

Hone Ronaki, vice president of the Mongols motorcycle gang, in the Hamilton High Court for sentencing for his part in the Waikeria Prison riot in January 2021. Photo / Belinda Feek

Former gang vice president serving 21 years behind bars

Mongols former vice president Hone Ronaki was last month jailed for 16 years for his role in Operation Silk, which focussed on the gang’s nationwide drug distribution network.

The focus for Justice Gordon during his sentencing was deciding a reasonable jail term to add to that already lengthy stint.

Crown prosecutor Jacinda Hamilton suggested six years, defence counsel Andrew Schultz pushed for four and a half years.

He said his client’s participation was a reflection of his background and being unable to see reason and disassociate himself from who he was associating with.

The 46-year-old had only recently completed some courses to contribute towards his rehabilitation, as up until then he had been locked in his cell 23 hours a day.

Justice Gordon noted Ronaki was inside the chapel just prior to it being set on fire, but there was no evidence he set that blaze.

She declined to issue an uplift for his criminal history as he only had one violence conviction, common assault, but as she did with his co-accused allowed a 15 per cent discount for his personal factors.

After landing at seven years and seven months, she agreed his sentence needed to be reduced further.

Justice Gordon jailed Ronaki for five years and one month, which was added to his 16-year term.

Peter Te Hau in the Hamilton High Court for sentencing for his part in the Waikeria Prison riot in January 2021. Photo / Belinda Feek

‘The negotiator’

Peter Te Hau’s counsel Steven Lack told Justice Gordon his client had a “pivotal role” and was involved in talks with police to try and resolve the riot and was the first to come down from the roof.

However, Justice Gordon replied that by that stage, the chapel had been burned down, and “there really was nowhere else for them to go”.

“Everything had been destroyed,” she said.

However, Lack responded by saying if the group wanted to continue, “that was something they could quite easily have done”.

After being deported from Australia, Te Hau then “sought solace in the membership of a motorcycle club”.

Te Hau also pleaded guilty to the three amalgamated charges during the trial and was jailed for eight years.

Justice Gordon declined to give him credit for his role as a “negotiator”.

Te Reneti Tarau in the dock of the High Court at Hamilton. Photo / Belinda Feek

‘Gangs give people a place to belong to’

Te Reneti Tarau was like his fellow Mongol gang members and still in his cell when the riot kicked off.

Twelve Mongol cells were opened and nine of them - including Tarau - joined the group, which pushed the number on top of the roof to 17.

Tarau’s counsel Scott Mills said his client had used his time since the riots wisely, having completed eight courses.

He was also remorseful and pushed for discounts relating to his upbringing; his father was a founding member of the Black Power gang.

“That made it a rather inevitable conclusion that he would seek out and find such associates later in life,” Mills said.

“Human beings are social animals and always seeking out a place where we belong.

“That is the danger of gangs, they give a place to people to belong to when they don’t belong anywhere else.”

Justice Gordon agreed to hand down discounts totalling 30 per cent for his plea, albeit four weeks into the trial, remorse, rehabilitative prospects, and cultural report.

He was jailed for six years and seven months on three representative charges of arson causing danger to life, riotous damage, and assault with a weapon.

Christopher Ranapia was jailed for five years and 10 months in the Hamilton High Court. Photo / Belinda Feek

‘Only had three months left to serve’

The “great tragedy” of Christopher Ranapia’s circumstance is that he only had three months left to serve on his sentence in Waikeria prison by December 2020.

His counsel Glen Prentice told Justice Gordon it “beggars belief” that he was back before the court but put it down to his “misguided sense of loyalty” to the gang.

“He made a terrible error of judgment ... had he stood up to his gang associates he would actually be a particularly productive member of the community.”

In assessing his cultural report, Justice Gordon noted his life growing up in Rotorua and how he had beatings regularly inflicted on him by his stepfather until he was old enough to fight back. He joined a gang as a youngster but at 20 he became qualified as a chef and more recently had even written a book of poems and opened a couple of gyms.

Like several of his co-offenders, Ranapia pleaded guilty to three representative charges four weeks into the trial, and therefore qualified for a 5 discount for his plea.

Ranapia was jailed for five years and 10 months.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for eight years and been a journalist for 19.