Judge slams parents as he jails their boy

A judge yesterday said a teenager had been failed by his parents, as he jailed the boy for his part in a drunken mugging and assault of two men.

The family of Nopera Alan Karipa wept in Christchurch District Court as the sentenced was passed.

"It's nice that they have turned up to support him," Judge David Saunders said during sentencing.

"But where were they when they should have been exercising parental or whanau oversight for a 15-year-old who had drunk 24 cans of pre-mixed drink?

"That's when they should have been taking control of the situation."

Karipa pleaded guilty to street robbery, committed in April before he turned 16.

His brother Tuari Damyn Karipa-Rangi, 17, was jailed for two years and two months for his role in the same Lincoln Rd mugging.

The brothers will be serving time together in the Christchurch Prison youth unit.

Police said Karipa was with members of the Young Skuxx Klicxx youth street gang which attacked two young men, beating them with a cricket stump and a piece of wood and robbing them of wallets and personal items.

One was beaten unconscious and had his jaw broken.

Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger said Karipa's mother and family were not aware he was out drinking at a party, or with the youth gang members.

"Well, they should have been," said the judge. "There should have been some proper parental oversight."

The two victims were in court to see Karipa jailed.

Judge Saunders reduced his sentence to a year because of the seven months he has already spent in the Te Puna Wai youth justice facility at Rolleston.

Others involved in the street robbery have been dealt with in the Youth Court because they were not yet 15 and could not be transferred to the district court.

Karipa wrote the judge a letter in which he said he really wanted to change his life and was attending anger management counselling.

Judge Saunders said he was worried by the level of drug and alcohol consumption reported in the pre-sentence report. He believed someone who had drunk 24 cans of pre-mix spirits would be legless.

Karipa told the probation officer he would drink until "just before he can't walk". He also smoked cannabis three times a week.

"There is clearly damage being done to his hard wiring system if he is consuming that much at his age," said Judge Saunders.

The judge said the time in prison would enable Karipa to address drug and alcohol issues, as well as anger management, and to do a course to reduce his risk of reoffending.

"I sincerely hope you can then go on and make something of your life and put this behind you."

- NZPA