Brother and sister jailed after loan dispute leads to machete attack

Ngaika Kiu has frequented courtrooms for the past eight years tallying more than 80 convictions. On Thursday she was sentenced to 22 months' imprisonment. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Whanganui brother and sister have been jailed after a dispute over a loan ended with one of them slicing his victim with a machete.

Tane Kiu, 18, had his male victim cornered with nowhere to go when he struck him on the upper back resulting in a 15cm laceration.

Watching on was his sister, serial Whanganui shoplifter Ngaika Kiu, who was also involved in the dispute on January 30, 2018.

A woman owed money to Ngaika Kiu's mother and although some of that was repaid the previous day, the mother texted the woman to say the debt had been doubled.

The mother, who was not named in court, along with Tane and Ngaika Kiu and another female, drove to the house of the woman who owed the money.

Tane Kiu was carrying a machete and had a blue bandanna covering part of his face when they entered the home.

"You, Tane Kiu, in a very forthright and abusive way demanded that that money was paid," Judge Philip Crayton said during sentencing in Whanganui District Court on Thursday.

"Help was sought from next door and that is where the involvement of your two victims arose. They came to help in what was already a very serious situation."

Ngaika Kiu was immediately aggressive, punching the female victim in the face several times causing bruising to her arms, legs and hands.

Tane Kiu came in swinging the machete towards the male's head.

He turned his head away, but was struck on his left shoulder which was fractured by the force.

The victims managed to escape to the bathroom and lock themselves inside.

Tane Kiu took the machete back to the vehicle they had arrived in.

"When they came out of the bathroom, the female was punched in the head by Mr Kiu, causing her to fall over. She was then kicked in the face," Judge Crayton said.

Tane Kiu retrieved the machete, again approaching the male and swinging at him.

"He was holding a scooter to protect himself. That struck him on the hand. He dropped the scooter and then with him cornered, you struck him on the upper back with the machete."

Ngaika Kiu later picked up the scooter and used it to strike the female across the back.

The scooter was taken off Ngaika Kiu and thrown at her as Tane Kiu uttered a threat about retrieving a shotgun before leaving.

Tane Kiu pleaded guilty to charges of wounding with intent to injure and male assaults female.

He has an extensive history of violent offending.

Judge Crayton said a cultural report about Tane Kiu identified him as someone with complex issues who had potential for assistance to turn things around.

Lawyer Peter Brosnahan said Tane Kiu's offending occurred after the victim had started belittling him, which was a trigger point for him probably due to his upbringing.

Judge Crayton sentenced Tane Kiu to two years' and five months' imprisonment.

"Your partner and your child are your future and I hope they give you the incentive not to be seen in here again," he said.

"At age 18 you have to realise earlier than most that every day you spend in prison, you're missing out on your child's development."

Meanwhile, Ngaika Kiu has an extensive history of offending and court appearances.

She last appeared in May 2018 where she was convicted on three charges of shoplifting, taking her history to more than 80 convictions.

At 25, she has been in and out of Arohata Prison since age 17 and has served more than 40 sentences of imprisonment.

Ngaika Kiu pleaded guilty to assault with intent to injure, assault with a weapon and wounding with reckless disregard.

Her lawyer, Roger Crowley, said his client was driven by her addictions to methamphetamine and alcohol.

"On top of that she acknowledges that she cannot stop shoplifting, which is what puts her back in the bin all the time," Crowley said.

"I might be stretching it to say she never had a chance, but she never had much of a chance. She's got that double-headed serpent of the addictions and her background."

Judge Crayton sentenced Ngaika Kiu to 22 months' imprisonment with six months' end sentence conditions.