Robbers who bashed English tourist Paul Speakman in the Western Bay have been jailed for 10 years - the type of sentence normally reserved for murder.
Mr Speakman and his son Christian made headlines when the men raided their camper van in the Athenree Gorge, near Katikati, in the early hours of October 12, threatening to drown them unless they handed over their valuables.
In Rotorua District Court yesterday, Shaun David Austin, 24, a boner of Te Aroha; Hayden Lee Growden, 28, a hydro-blaster of Te Aroha; Ben Joseph Atkinson, 21, sickness beneficiary of Paeroa; and Cameron Lee Ashby, 26, labourer of Paeroa were sentenced to 10 years' jail after pleading guilty to three charges each of aggravated robbery.
The court heard they were heavy users of the drug P when they went on a violent rampage through the central North Island.
One of the men needed cash to pay drug debts and another was high on P during the raids.
The men used crowbars to smash the windows of the tourists' vehicles, threatened and attacked their victims, stole their property and slashed their tyres to prevent them from going for help.
The vehicles were left "blood-spattered and ransacked".
During the Athenree attack, the men continued bashing Mr Speakman even when he did co-operate.
Mr Speakman suffered a cut to his face, which required stitches, and a swollen eye.
It was the pair's first night in New Zealand and they were contemplating emigrating here.
Speaking from England last night, Mr Speakman said it was comforting to know his attackers had been punished.
"The memories have faded but obviously it's had an effect on our lives," he said.
"It's good they're not around to repeat the crime for quite a while."
The court heard that on the same morning the Speakmans were attacked, the accused beat and robbed a Wellington man who had parked his car in a rest area at Okere Falls, near Rotorua.
They threatened the man with a crowbar and told him his teeth would be smashed in unless he handed over his wallet.
Two weeks earlier, they attacked and robbed two foreign tourists in the Tongariro National Park. One of the victims likened it to a "commando raid".
Judge Phillip Cooper said the "terror attacks" had a profound effect on the victims, most of whom were from overseas.
They had suffered ongoing physical and emotional trauma.
A defence lawyer argued it was Mr Austin who inflicted injuries with the crowbar, and that the other three men played a lesser role in the robberies.
However, Judge Cooper said all four men had played an equal part.
The four were heavy users of methamphetamine and all had many previous convictions.
If they had not admitted their guilt they would have been jailed for 13 years.
The men's lawyers said all four were remorseful and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Growden's lawyer, Harry Edward, handed a $1000 cheque to Judge Cooper as a "small gesture" of how sorry he was. The money was to be shared among the victims.
TOP STORY: 10 years' jail for tourist's attackers
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