Black Power prospect couldn’t get credit for time in custody on remand for murder, judge rules

Anthony Wiremu Newton appears in the Whanganui District Court.

A gang prospect who spent three years locked up on remand for murder could not be given credit for the time in jail when sentenced on unrelated charges, a judge ruled.

Anthony Wiremu Newton appeared before Judge Paul Mabey KC in the Whanganui District Court on Thursday for sentencing on driving and drug charges, which were laid after a serious car crash.

Judge Mabey acknowledged the crash happened mere months after the Black Power prospect was released after spending three years behind bars on remand for the unrelated killing of rival Mongrel Mob member Kevin Neihana Ratana before the charges were dropped.

He noted Newton, who has the letters BP tattooed on his forehead and the gang’s clenched fist on both cheeks, felt his life had been badly impacted by the amount of time he spent in jail but encouraged him to connect with his family and whānau and make the most of his future.

“I know that they were wasted years but I can’t give them back to you.”

The 31-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to reckless driving, possession of cannabis for supply, possession of methamphetamine and being in charge of a motor vehicle when his blood contained evidence of drugs and his passenger was injured.

On November 14, 2021, Newton lost control of the car he was driving and smashed into a tree, catapulting his victim, a patched Black Power member, out of the vehicle, the police summary of facts says.

“The victim was ejected from the vehicle through the windscreen and he was located outside the vehicle tangled in the wreckage on the ground.”

The man suffered a fractured left humerus as well as traumatic tetraplegia and spent at least five months recovering in Christchurch’s Burwood Spinal Unit.

Newton was found trapped in the driver’s seat and emergency services had to cut him free from the vehicle. He suffered a broken femur, fractured ribs and an injured spleen.

A blood test revealed he had methamphetamine and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in cannabis) in his system.

Numerous motorists had earlier called police to report Newton’s dangerous driving, including an incident in which he narrowly avoided hitting three cars while speeding past vehicles on a 50km/h residential street.

Police also discovered drugs, including 12 small snaplock bags of cannabis, weighing a total of 11g, and four containing 1.2g of methamphetamine, as well as $840 cash in the debris of the car.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Stephen Butler said the discount Newton was given off his sentence for remorse should be limited.

Judge Mabey, however, said he was prepared to acknowledge Newton was remorseful for what happened to his mate and believed he was just acting staunch or silly when he made unhelpful comments to a probation officer.

“Who wouldn’t. He fully hurt his cobber and anyone would feel sorry about that.”

Beginning with a sentence of 36 months’ imprisonment, Judge Mabey allowed Newton a 40 per cent discount reducing the jail term to 22 months which he then converted to 11 months’ home detention.

Newton was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.