Mohaka murder: Ben Lambert sentenced to life for shooting Michael Huata

A Wairoa man has been jailed after murdering an associate near Mohaka. Photo File

A Hawke's Bay man has been given a life sentence for the murder of Michael Huata in June last year.

In the Gisborne High Court today, Ben Lambert, 22, was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.

The Wairoa resident admitted shooting Huata in the face at a property near Mohaka on June 18, 2019.

Huata was taken to Wairoa Hospital, 28km away, but died soon afterwards. Lambert earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting another man and damaging his vehicle at Mohaka two nights earlier.

The families of Lambert and Huata packed the public gallery last month as the charges were put to Lambert. A woman from the victim's family called out: "Look at what you've done to my family. You can't even look my nan in the eye, you coward."

As he was being led to holding cells, one of Lambert's family called, "Love you my bro'!"

The two men had known each other for many years and the shooting was said to have happened after they arrived separately at a rural address, a few hundred metres from the now empty site of the former Mohaka Hotel.

Lambert was said to have waited in the dark and watched until Huata exited a house on the property, and then confronted him about another person thought to be at the address.

Huata was shot during the confrontation. Lambert drove away, abandoning the car, walking across farmland and disposing of the gun in a stream before walking home.

He was arrested more than a week later after telling police he was the gunman.