Alcoholic sentenced for murdering friend

1.00pm

A Porirua man was today jailed for life for murdering a friend in the room they shared at a Porirua boarding house.

Jacob Parata, 27, unemployed, was appearing for sentence in the High Court at Wellington before Justice Gendall.

The judge said the beating to death of Lewis Thorp, 49, was "a brutal killing".

He said the men, lifelong friends, were both drunk when the killing took place.

"I accept that you were affected by alcohol, but that is no defence."

He said the case was a tragic example of the effects of alcohol abuse that led to wanton violence.

"This was a brutal killing, following a shortlived, vicious attack... you have to live with the consequences," Justice Gendall told Parata.

The judge made no order as to a non-parole period. Parata will therefore be eligible for parole after 10 years.

Parata was found guilty of Mr Thorp's murder on May 13, after jurors took 6-1/2 hours to reject alternative defences of self defence and provocation.

The court had earlier been told that Parata had paid for the beer for Mr Thorp's 49th birthday party on July 3 last year and in the early hours of the next morning punched and beat him to death with a piece of wood.

The Crown said both men were alcoholics and after paying for the beer for Mr Thorp's birthday, Parata regretted it because he had nothing put aside for his son's first birthday a month later.

There were also longstanding grievances about Mr Thorp allegedly mistreating Parata's aunt when the two had been in a relationship, and that Parata resented Mr Thorp not being Ngati Toa like himself.

The defence agreed Parata had beaten in the side of Mr Thorp's head but said Mr Thorp must have done something, either by physical attack or provocation, to have brought it on.

Defence lawyer Mike Antunovic said Mr Thorp had asked Parata to buy the beer and Parata gave in reluctantly because he wanted the money for his son.

Parata told police when he got home late at night to the lounge they shared, Mr Thorp wanted him to buy more alcohol. The two men fought and he thought Mr Thorp was trying to rip out his eye.

Mr Thorp did have Parata's skin under his fingernails but the Crown said that was from Mr Thorp striking out with his hands trying to ward off Parata's blows.

- NZPA