Jade Arohanui Oldridge, 26, at her sentencing in the High Court at Wellington in relation to the death of her partner Dean Kahukiwa (inset) in September 2023. Photo / Catherine Hutton
The lawyer for a woman whose Mongrel Mob partner was shot dead after she asked her uncle to “smash” him says she was under threat and had no way of knowing how events would unfold.
Jade Arohanui Oldridge, 26, was sentenced today in the High Court at Wellington for her part in Dean Kahukiwa’s death.
Kahukiwa, 32, was shot five times in his home in Foxton, Horowhenua, in September 2023 in retribution for allegedly beating Oldridge.
His body was not found until nine days later, when firefighters were called to a fire at the Reeve St house.
Four people have already been sentenced in relation to Kahukiwa’s death, including Quentin Waho-Marsden, 27, who must serve at least 17 years for the murder.
Oldridge, whose hearing couldn’t proceed with the others because of an issue over her bail address, was sentenced on a charge of injuring with intent to injure.
According to the summary of facts, Oldridge was taken to Lower Hutt Hospital two days before the killing after she was beaten. She left before being assessed or receiving treatment.
She and Kahukiwa spent the next day in Lower Hutt, visiting family and friends before returning to Foxton.
The next day, Monday, September 18, they were at home.
The summary said Oldridge referred to Teresa McKenzie and William Hines as aunty and uncle.
That morning, she messaged McKenzie saying, “Aunty cn u tell uncle cme nine Please And smash this c***”.
Oldridge then called McKenzie, which was followed by a text message saying, “Cn come mine aunty please”.
McKenzie responded immediately, saying, “I let uncle no now baby”, to which Oldridge responded, “Please aunty now”.
McKenzie responded, “he’s coming now my baby”.
The pair continued to text each other, with McKenzie telling Oldridge, “Don’t let him know your uncles on his way but don’t tell him he will f***** sort it” followed by “love you my baby”.
“I haven’t told him aunty,” Oldridge responded.
After those text messages, Hines and his associate Waho-Marsden met at the house in Reeve St, Foxton.
They approached the house together, and Kahukiwa answered the door wearing only a towel.
While Hines remained outside, Waho-Marsden walked inside carrying a gun and shot Kahukiwa five times with a .22 calibre firearm. One round pierced his heart.
Hines was jailed for six and a half years after admitting a charge of manslaughter.
Today, Oldridge’s lawyer, Paul Paino, told the High Court she hadn’t set out to hurt her partner, but sent the texts because she was being threatened by him.
She reached out to a member of her family, something she’d never done before, because Kahukiwa’s behaviour was out of character.
Things had got out of control, and she could not have predicted what happened, Paino said.
“The family has obviously lost someone who was very popular and loved. I just want the court to understand she loved him and she lost him as well.”
The extent of the family’s loss was evident in the victim impact statement prepared by Kahukiwa’s brother, Wayne Tohiariki, on behalf of the family.
The statement, which was read out at the earlier sentencing, made it clear the family were not only deeply saddened by Kahukiwa’s death but also held Oldridge responsible for setting off the chain of events that led to it.
“I hope the justice system sees Jade for what she is and what she did,” it said.
At sentencing, Justice Karen Grau acknowledged that, while she understood the family’s view, Oldridge’s involvement in sending the texts was to have Kauhkiwa beaten up. She did not expect him to be seriously injured or killed.
Crown prosecutor Emma Ferrier said that, while the court had to be mindful of the charge the defendant was being sentenced for, it could also take into account the injury involved: the death of Kahukiwa in his own home.
She also noted the aggravating features in the case, including the vigilante action and the degree of premeditation by sending multiple text messages.
Justice Grau acknowledged that Oldridge had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty. She also allowed a discount for her immaturity, saying that explained, in part, her decision to contact family members in the way she had.
But she did not accept that Oldridge had shown remorse, suggesting she’d attempted to distance herself from the offending and didn’t accept aspects of the summary of facts to which she had pleaded guilty.
Justice Grau accepted that Oldridge felt sorrow for the loss of her partner, noting that situations involving domestic violence were often complex.
Adopting a starting point of two years’ jail, the judge reduced that to 16 months, leaving open the option of a non-custodial sentence.
The Crown submitted that a sentence of home detention was the least restrictive, while the defence argued that a sentence of community detention was a more practical alternative, placing less strain on Oldridge’s whānau, with whom she would be living.
Justice Grau noted that, while she had some concerns about an electronically monitored sentence, Corrections had recommended Oldridge be given that opportunity.
“In my view, a sentence of community detention with intensive supervision is the least restrictive outcome,” she said, adding that this had the best prospects of success.
In sentencing Oldridge to six months’ community detention with a nightly curfew, coupled with 24 months’ intensive supervision, the judge warned Oldridge that any issues of non-compliance risked her being sent to jail.
Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist for 20 years, including at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently, she was working as a media adviser at the Ministry of Justice.