Guilty plea to manslaughter

Maree Kiwana-Makanihi Takuira-Mita Ngahere died in February last year, aged four weeks. Picture / NZ Police

A 23-year-old Kaitaia man has admitted causing the death of his 4-week-old daughter on February 19 last year.

About 20 people sat in silence in the public gallery at the High Court at Whangārei last week when Jahcey Te Koha Aroha o te Raki Ngahere pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Maree Kiwana-Makanihi Takuira-Mita Ngahere. He had initially been charged with murder.

Police launched a homicide investigation after a post mortem report indicated that the baby suffered a brain injury and bleeding to her brain at her home in Worth St, Kaitaia. There was also severe bruising on one arm and thigh.

Ngahere, who was granted name suppression when he appeared in the Kaitaia District Court in June, and was visibly upset as he stood in the dock on Thursday, was remanded in custody to appear in the High Court at Whangārei for sentence on August 17.

He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of assaulting a child and one of threatening to kill in March last year.

The reduction of the charge from murder to manslaughter prompted another demand from the Sensible Sentencing Trust for an end to plea bargaining for those who commit child abuse that resulted in the victim being badly hurt or killed.

"We understand the Crown focus on working towards a conviction, but when a child is so violently beaten that they have bleeding on the brain, and they die as a result of the harm inflicted on them, that is murder — end of story," Jess McVicar said.

"It is simple common sense to know that any violent act inflicted, particularly on a vulnerable child, will likely result in their death, so when you make the choice to violently attack, that is premeditated murder.

"We seem to be like a broken record stuck on repeat, continually asking for plea bargaining to be removed in these horrific child abuse cases. In 2016 we presented a petition to Parliament that thousands of people signed, demanding an end to plea bargaining."

The SST had launched a nationwide child abuse campaign (go to www.sst.org.nz or the Sensible Sentencing Trust's Facebook page), and had promised it would continue until someone listened and made legislative changes. The trust also believed that those charged with child abuse should not have the right to silence.