Man sentenced following Wellington kidnapping and finger severing

He appeared in the High Court at Wellington today.

A man involved in kidnapping a woman and severing her finger in March last year has been sent to prison.

Willie Brandon Malua Bentley was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail by Justice Simon France in the High Court at Wellington today.

The 32-year-old previously entered guilty pleas to kidnapping and causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the incident.

While the Judge did not read the summary of facts due to the upcoming trial of some of the man's co-defendants, he said Malua Bentley was one of four involved in the initial kidnapping.

France said the woman was abducted and kept for several days in relation to a drug debt in what he said was "very cruel, and violent offending".

During this time, the woman was taken to a Wellington address and assaulted before being driven to a beach and dragged into the water by a chain.

She managed to escape but eventually had to swim back.

Following this, one of the man's co-defendants tried unsuccessfully to cut off one of her fingers.

The judge said Malua Bentley then severed a different finger.

After this, the woman was taken to a different address and kept for several days chained to a couch.

She remained crouching in the room with her fingers wrapped in rags while those involved used drugs until she was able to escape.

France said the man's actions were callous and caused mental as well as physical trauma.

During the sentencing, the judge said Malua Bentley's unusual childhood living arrangements had impacted his development.

He said Malua Bentley reported smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol from age 12, before starting methamphetamine use at 17.

The defendant's lawyer Garry Turkington said the man was reconnecting with his Samoan heritage and had an anxious desire to recover from his drug addiction, which he said came from his dislocated childhood.

Growing up, Malua Bentley split his time living between Samoa with his grandparents and San Francisco with his mother- before moving to New Zealand, where he was born, at age 19.

Turkington said the defendant had shown profound remorse for his actions in a letter to the judge.

He also confirmed the man was willing to be a witness for the further trials.