Violent beating lands two in prison

Two young men have been handed lengthy jail sentences for their role in a "cowardly" attack that left a Whangarei teenager with serious head injuries.
The beating has again highlighted what the prosecution lawyer called Whangarei's "cocktail of youth, alcohol and extreme violence".
Luke Jeremiah Tipu, 20, and Adrian Justin Waa, 19, were sentenced by Judge John McDonald in the Whangarei District Court yesterday after having earlier been found guilty of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm.
Tipu was sentenced to six-and-half years jail and Waa to seven-and-a-half years.
Judge McDonald said Waa and Tipu went with associates to a party in Raumanga Valley Rd on March 4, 2005. A car carrying four gang members had stopped outside as the party was winding down, and one of the partygoers was called over to the car.
There was no violence between the gang members and anyone at the party but once they left the partygoer who had spoken to the gang members was "picked on" and rival gang chants were shouted, Judge McDonald said.
The young man was chased by a group down Raumanga Valley Rd and then Mahana Pl.
A 17-year-old who knew the man being pursued had been standing outside the chased man's home and was set upon by the group, Judge McDonald said.
"He was punched to the ground and kicked and hit on the head with a baseball bat."
Waa had then picked the victim up, "took some steps to pick up speed" and threw him head-first into a parked car. "I consider that this was a very cowardly attack by a group of men on one," Judge McDonald said.
"This was not a fair fight. It wasn't even a fight - (the victim) had never even struck back.
"You were extremely fortunate that he didn't die. This type of behaviour cannot be permitted to continue in a civilised society."
The victim was flown from Whangarei Hospital to Auckland because of his serious head injury.
Earlier Crown prosecutor Mike Smith said there was particular concern about the cocktail of youth, alcohol and extreme violence in Whangarei.
There had been several cases during the past three years in which people out to enjoy themselves in Whangarei had been set upon. The attacks had resulted in homicides and serious injuries and created an impression that people could not go out safely in the town, Mr Smith said.
People did not want to live in a town where a police presence was required if they ventured out after 10pm.
It was also of concern that gang rivalry appeared to have caused the initial animosity. There had been references to youth groups, developing along similar lines to established gangs, during the trial, he said.
Tipu's lawyer, Arthur Fairley, said Tipu was a secondary party who had got caught up in the "smell of violence" and not part of a gang attack. Tipu admitted he had kicked the victim, that he shouldn't have done it and felt "stink" about it.
The offending had been out of character. Tipu was not attached to any particular organisation, Mr Fairley said. "He knows he let himself down. He knows he didn't act like a man at the time."
Lawyer Chris Muston, for Waa, said Waa had instructed him not to make submissions on his behalf. Mr Muston told the court his client could not remember the incident.
Two other men, Nigel Connelly and Haami Johnstone, were sentenced last year for their roles in the attack. Connelly was sentenced to six years jail and Johnstone to four years.