The dairy in Victory Square from where the crime spree began, when the offenders noticed an unattended car left outside. Photo / Tracy Neal
The dairy in Victory Square from where the crime spree began, when the offenders noticed an unattended car left outside. Photo / Tracy Neal
A young offender who punched a cowering shop worker during an aggravated robbery has avoided a lengthy prison term for the steps taken to turn his life around.
The shop worker was told he would be killed if he did not open some drawers during the robbery of more than $16,000 worth of goods from a Christchurch discounter store in late 2020. It was while the worker sought refuge in a back room of the store he was punched in the jaw and made to open the till.
Twenty year-old Sysquo Pihama Manaakitanga Tairakena was today sentenced to three years in prison in the Nelson District Court for his part in the aggravated robbery in Christchurch in late 2020. It marked the end of a month-long crime spree which began in Nelson with the theft of a Mercedes car, progressed to arson, theft, and receiving property.
Tairakena's dysfunctional past and an acknowledgement of the suffering he caused his victims saved him a longer sentence.
The crime spree began in Nelson in November 2020, with an opportunistic moment when Tairakena and an associate found a car left running near a dairy in Nelson's Victory Square, where they had stopped to buy items.
The dairy in Victory Square which was one venue involved in the chain of offending. Photo / Tracy Neal
It ended in Christchurch a month later with the aggravated robbery of $16,000 worth of items from a Christchurch discounter store, which left a worker on the premises terrified, injured and fearing for his life.
On November 12, 2020, he and a young associate had been at the Victory Square dairy buying food. Nearby, a man had parked his Mercedes outside an address on St Vincent Street, and left the vehicle running while he went inside briefly.
The dairy in Victory Square from where the crime spree began, when the offenders noticed an unattended car left outside. Photo / Tracy Neal
When Tairakena and his associate left the store, they noticed the vehicle, got inside and drove away. The car was found early the next morning, after Tairakena drove it into a sports building at a nearby sports field. He then set the car on fire and recorded it on his cell phone.
St Vincent Street in Nelson, where an unattended car was parked, and taken by Tairakena and an associate. Photo / Tracy Neal
On the day Tairakena stole the Mercedes, he and two associates robbed a 16-year-old who had been walking in central Nelson with three friends, one of whom punched the victim in the head, and demanded he hand over his silver chain and a pair of shoes.
Judge Jo Rielly said in sentencing that although Tairakena's culpability was less than his associate's, he was still actively involved in the offending.
A week later Tairakena broke into a locked vehicle, which was later found dumped and badly damaged. A few days later, Tairakena and a 19-year-old co-offender approached a young couple outside another Nelson dairy, and demanded the male hand over his $200 shoes.
In early December 2020, Tairakena and a 19-year-old associate travelled to Christchurch in a vehicle that had been stolen from an address in Nelson two days before. At about 5pm that evening, Tairakena, his associate and a third male entered JB's Discounter store in Edgeware, armed with a large "martial arts type" knife and a hammer.
Pointing the knife at the dairy shop assistant, Tairakena told him to open the tills or he would kill him.
The men then emptied the tills, as well as a cupboard full of cigarettes and tobacco behind the counter – with the stolen goods worth $16,348 in total. Noticing the store worker trying to flee, Tairakena went into the back room and punched him several times in the jaw.
The three men then fled on foot back to their stolen vehicle, while the victim escaped through an internal door and called the police.
Defence lawyer Wayne Jones told the court today that the series of offending was possibly the result of "some sort of brain fade", aggravated by alcohol, and that Tairakena had expressed remorse and a desire to improve his life.
Crown prosecutor Abigail Goodison noted that Tairakena warranted credit for the time he had already spent in custody, awaiting sentencing, but that he was a young offender on very serious charges, with "significant" rehabilitation work ahead of him.
Judge Rielly noted that Tairakena was 19 at the time of the offending, of which the most serious was the armed robbery of the Christchurch store, involving a victim who had tried to seek refuge in a back room, and who was then punched in the jaw.
"The victim expressed he was terrified and thought he was going to be stabbed by you. The effects have been significant."
Judge Rielly said in sentencing Tairakena, who appeared in court via an audio visual link, that it was important he listened to what she had to say. She said his pre-sentence report, and cultural report had helped her understand his background and upbringing, including his exposure to a lifestyle that was "extremely harmful". It included physical and emotional hurt to the degree he was left feeling unloved and unwanted.
"It is clear to me the neglect and harm you suffered as a young person have had direct consequences on you."
Judge Rielly noted Tairakena's "glowing" probation report, which indicated motivation to live a different life, upon release from prison. She also noted his regret and sorrow for the distress and loss caused to his victims.
"You have thought about what you did to others when you committed those crimes."
Tairakena was sentenced to a total three years in prison, on the lead charge of aggravated robbery. He was also sentenced to 15 months on the arson and theft charges, and two years for receiving stolen items and theft, to be served concurrently.
Judge Rielly said in finishing that reparation was not ordered because Tairakena had no ability to pay, and told him she wished him all the best for the future.
"It seems you have done a lot of thinking and you have good goals. I know you can achieve them - good luck," she told Tairakena.
