Beach Haven murder: Teens sentenced over murder of Joshuah Tasi, family offer forgiveness

The father of murder victim Joshuah Tasi has forgiven the brothers who brutally killed his son in Beach Haven last year.

“We do not seek revenge, but rather hope justice will bring a positive change in their lives.”

Speaking in the High Court at Auckland where the teens were sentenced today, Auliulifolau Tasi said it was heart-wrenching to see his son’s killers “missing out on so much” and he felt deep sympathy for them.

Through tears, he turned to the defendants and said: “I have forgiven you, and I love you and I pray for you.”

He prayed that the pair, aged 19 and 15, would turn their lives around. “To me, that is true justice”.

The teens did not show any visible emotion during his testimony.

With the public gallery overflowing, Justice David Johnstone allowed members of the Tasi family to sit in the box usually reserved for jury members.

One of Joshuah Tasi’s sisters, Sera-Anne Avei, said the brothers’ actions that day sentenced her to a “lifetime of missing somebody”.

“At times it hurts to breathe, all visits to my brother now are with a wreath.”

Joshuah Tasi was fatally stabbed in the North Shore suburb of Beach Haven. Photo / Dean Purcell, Supplied

The brothers, who continue to have interim name suppression, were arrested in March last year after Tasi, 28, bled to death next to his crashed silver van on Beach Haven Rd.

Moments earlier, Tasi had honked at the duo’s BMW and called the older defendant, who was 17 at the time, a “dickhead” as he drove around them at an intersection they had been blocking, a witness testified shortly after the trial began last week.

The then-17-year-old then allegedly sped to catch up with Tasi and cut in front of him - resulting in the minor crash, which caused Tasi’s bumper to fall off.

“They acted in unison,” Crown prosecutor Brett Tantrum said during his closing address, explaining that both defendants took off their shirts and got out of the BMW before approaching both front doors of Tasi’s vehicle - giving him no means of escape.

“They then embarked on a sudden and violent attack on Mr Tasi ... [He] didn’t have a chance.”

Justice Johnstone said the pair likely said something to each other before the attack and knew they both had knives and would use them.

“You knew those knives might kill a man.”

He told the court that reports on the pair’s background showed they were born into the gang lifestyle and had both reported early drug use.

Brains are still developing until age 25, Justice Johnstone said, and “young people have less control and are more impulsive”.

“You need to grow up and learn that using violence makes you a smaller man,” Justice Johnstone said to the pair.

The justice gave the older brother a starting point of 38 years in prison and granted him a 45% reduction for youth and background.

But he said the young man had still not shown remorse and he was troubled by aspects of his background report which noted that violence was “ingrained” in him.

These deductions led to a final sentence of 20 years in prison, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.

The younger defendant - who was 14 at the time of the offending - was given a starting point of 32 years in prison and a 55% reduction for the same factors and because he had indicated remorse for his actions.

Justice Johnstone sentenced the teen to 14 years and five months’ imprisonment, and a minimum prison term of six years.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.