“You’re too young to be in a prison cell. Unless you stop this offending you face a long period in jail and that’s not healthy; you have a life to live,” the judge said to Noanoa.
He would also face tougher bail laws for any reoffending.
Noanoa was up for sentence on 11 charges, to all of which he had pleaded guilty — unlawful possession of a shotgun, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a knife in public, possession of a bong, possession of a methamphetamine pipe, possession of cannabis, two counts of driving while suspended, a breach of bail (by failing to attend court), and two counts of breaching release conditions.
The judge outlined the background to the offences in chronological order.
Released from custody on May 21, last year, with time served, Noanoa was instructed about his need to comply with release conditions. But for five months, he failed to report to his probation officer as required — non-compliance that would make matters even more difficult for Noanoa should he reoffend, the judge said.
On August 2 he was stopped while driving in Atkinson Street and found in possession of the shotgun, ammunition and knives.
People travelling around Gisborne with firearms while unlicensed to do so, usually signalled one thing — gang connections, the judge said.
On November 21, in Ranfurly Street, Noanoa was stopped for driving while suspended. Officers noticed a knife handle sticking out from the gap between the driver seat and centre console of his car. It turned out to be a 48-centimetre-long machete. A cannabis bong was also found, along with an open “tinnie” amount of cannabis.
While being taken to the police station in a patrol car, the officers escorting Noanoa noticed him wriggling around on the back seat as if he was trying to hide something. A methamphetamine pipe was later found squashed into a gap in the seats.
Noanoa admitted the cannabis and bong were his and said the knife belonged to a family member, but maintained he knew nothing about the pipe.
On December 8 at Levin, he was again stopped for driving while suspended. Noanoa said he was going to get groceries.
The judge agreed with counsel Mana Taumaunu that the most serious charges were those involving the shotgun and ammunition.
Sentences for unlicensed possession of guns could reach up to 18 months depending on circumstances, the judge said.
Here he set a sentence starting point of 10 months imprisonment, increasing it (with an adjustment for totality) to 19 months.
He added two months to account for offending while on bail and an additional two months to mark Noanoa’s lengthy previous history, which included a conviction for a three strikes offence of wounding with intent to injure.
Discount of four months was given for Noanoa’s guilty pleas.
In addition to the final sentence, the judge also imposed release conditions and a six-month driving ban, and ordered the destruction of all items seized.
