City Kickboxing is the gym where popular MMA fighter Fau Vake trained before he was killed in an unprovoked street attack – and its MMA head trainer Eugene Bareman is now calling for tough new sentences for similar coward punch attacks.
Bareman says the current punishments for coward punches don’t fit the crime and devastation they can cause.
“Fau wasn’t just my fighter. He was my brother. My friend. Fau was family,” Bareman said.
“When someone sneaks up behind another person and throws a full-power punch they can’t defend against, they are trying to inflict maximum harm ... death or catastrophic brain damage,” Bareman told the Herald.
Fau Vake and his brother Ika Vake were attacked by four strangers on Symonds St in Auckland on May 16, 2021. Although the brothers were both handy MMA fighters, they didn’t throw a single punch.
Fau Vake, the 25-year-old father of a 3-year-old daughter, died from his injuries.
His assailant, Daniel Havili, was jailed for two years and nine months in 2022 for manslaughter – but was released after 11 months.
Bareman said that by contrast, murder convictions carry 10-year minimum non-parole periods and life sentences.
“We’re still reeling. Still waking up hoping it was just a nightmare. His killers received little more than a slap on the wrist, to what we believe amounts to murder.”
While Bareman is pleased that the Crimes Amendment Bill – now making its way through Parliament – contains two new and specific coward punch offences, he believes it doesn’t go far enough.
As currently written, the bill will increase sentences for one-punch attacks, with potential for eight- to 15-year prison terms if the punch results in serious injury or death.
It also removes the need to prove intent to kill, focusing on the reckless nature of the act and the victim not having the opportunity to defend themselves.
“It’s a solid step forward, but it needs mandatory minimum non-parole periods,” Bareman said.
“We urge Parliament to set an eight-year minimum non-parole period. It would make sure the punishment fits the real harm and help stop tragedies like the one that took our mate Fau Vake.”
The Sensible Sentencing Trust [SST] also wants minimum non-parole periods for coward punches.
“This Government talks it up about getting tough on crime and this is one way they can show it – by not leaving it to judges,” SST spokeswoman Louise Parsons told the Herald.
“The new legislation will make no difference to sentencing – which is the change we want.”
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith believes the new bill will have an impact on coward punch crime.
“We know how dangerous coward punches are. People can be killed or suffer lifelong brain injuries, yet perpetrators often receive lenient and insufficient sentences. That changes with this legislation,” Goldsmith said.
When asked why he believes this when there is no minimum non-parole period in the legislation, Goldsmith said through a spokesperson: “Eight-year non-parole minimum sentences are not part of the proposed Crimes Amendment Bill.”
The bill has passed its first reading and is now at the select committee stage.
“We aim to have this passed into law before the election,” Goldsmith said.
The 15 people killed in New Zealand by coward punches are:
July 2024 Daniel Nganeko:
Daniel Nganeko was killed by Daytona Thompson, who was sentenced to four years and two months in prison.
Thompson, 22, fatally struck Nganeko, 37, on July 26, 2024, outside the Tukapa Rugby and Sports Club in New Plymouth.
Thompson spent 17 months in prison.
October 2024 Luke Smith:
Siale Siale pleaded guilty to manslaughter over the death of South African Luke Smith in the early hours of October 2024 and was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
Siale coward punched Smith outside Wellington’s old Reading Cinema building. Smith fell backwards, hitting his head on the road. Siale kicked Smith in the groin, swore at him and filmed him on his phone as he lay unconscious and bleeding on the pavement.
Siale spent nine months in prison.
April 2023 Mewa Singh:
Jayden Kahi was sentenced to two years in prison after coward-punching tourist Mewa Singh in Linwood Park, Christchurch, in 2023.
Kahi wrongly believed Singh was trying to kidnap his son, and on appeal his sentence was reduced to 11 months of home detention.
May 2021 Fau Vake:
David Havili was jailed for two years, nine months for the manslaughter of popular Auckland kickboxer Fau Vake in May 2021.
Vake hit his head on the concrete after Havili hit him with a coward punch, causing a brain bleed that led to Vake’s death nine days later. Havili was released after 11 months in prison.
December 2021 Levi Haami:
Armani Williams was jailed for three years after fatally punching 18-year-old Levi Haami at the Countdown car park on Moorhouse Ave in Christchurch on December 4, 2021.
Williams was 16 when he killed Haami.
February 2020 Phillip Goffe:
Unasa punched 60-year-old Goffe, who fell backwards on to the concrete driveway, hitting his head. He was taken to hospital and put on life support, but died five days later from his injuries.
September 2020 Umukisia Fiva
Tongan national Peniteketo Uhatafe killed his partner, Umukisia Fiva, with a single slap to the head at a party in Manurewa.
Fiva, 34, died in September 2020. Uhatafe admitted a charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to five months’ home detention.
December 2020 Bruce Coker:
Cruz Mason Murray, 27, was jailed for three years and seven months for the manslaughter of Bruce Coker at Tawa on December 20, 2020.
Murray met Coker in the street and coward punched him on the right side of his face, causing Coker to fall backwards on to the road.
Murray spent 15 months in prison.
October 2019 Joe Maka:
Joe Maka pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Hashim Saad after attacking him in Māngere on 19 October, 2019.
Maka was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison and spent 15 months in prison.
April 2019 Jerico Telea:
Joseph Larson pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Jerico Telea, who was left in a critical condition after a serious assault near the intersection of Queen St and Vulcan Lane during the early hours of April 20, 2019. Telea, 24, died in hospital two days later.
Larson was sentenced to one year of home detention.
April 2016 Matthew Coley:
Tyrone Palmer was 16 when he admitted the manslaughter of Matthew Coley after coward punching him outside an Invercargill Night‘n Day store on April 9, 2016.
Palmer was sentenced to 22 months in jail and was released after serving 11 months.
November 2013 Tarun Asthana:
Former Navy sailor Grenville David McFarland was jailed for two years and four months for the manslaughter of Tarun Asthana, who was coward-punched and struck his head on the pavement outside a central Auckland McDonald’s in the early hours of November 2 2012.
McFarland spent nine months in prison.
October 2011 Billy Dawson:
Kit John Murray was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for five years after he coward-punched Billy Dawson, 34, outside Auckland’s Spy Bar at the Viaduct during the Rugby World Cup in 2011.
Murray appealed against the sentence, saying it was too harsh and the assault had not involved “extreme violence”, but his appeal was turned down and he spent 20 months in prison.
August 2011 Felipe Sipaia:
Jonathan Ioata was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for the manslaughter of Felipe Sipaia, a 24-year-old father of three.
Sipaia died in Wellington Hospital in August 2011 after the assault.
Ioata spent 19 months in prison and Siapia’s wife forgave Ioata for killing her husband.
March 2011 Steve Radnoty:
Matthew Bryce Larson, 23, walked into a Dunedin fast food outlet and punched Steve Radnoty, 51.
He was jailed for three years for manslaughter and spent 12 months behind bars.
Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as kaupapa Māori editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.