Manslaughter not enough - mother of jail guard

Latu Kepu. Photo / Christine Cornege

The mother of a prison guard who died after he was felled by a single punch says his killer should have been charged with murder, not manslaughter.

Latu Savelio Halangingie Kepu, 21, yesterday pleaded guilty in the Hamilton District Court to the manslaughter of United States-born Jason Palmer on May 15 at Waikato's Springhill Correctional Facility.

But Mr Palmer's mother, Ada Palmer, told the Herald from her home in the US state of Virginia that Kepu's guilty plea had brought them no relief.

"It's clearly more than manslaughter. He killed my son," said Mrs Palmer.

"I have always wondered what it was that people did to go to hell.

"For the first time in my life, God help me, I hate someone and that's wrong, that's very wrong."

A distraught Mrs Palmer, who said she had looked at her son's picture every day since his death, said she was trying to save money so she could come back to New Zealand for Kepu's next court appearance.

She also hoped for a face-to-face meeting someday with Kepu or his family.

"I think I have earned that right to sit down and talk with these people. Perhaps they could explain to me at what time in your son's life who it was that taught him all he could do was hate other people and hate himself ... I would really like to know that. They could then perhaps explain to my grandchildren why their daddy won't ever hold them again."

In a summary of facts, the court heard how Mr Palmer began his shift on Saturday, May 15, at 8am and how he and two associates were about to move Kepu for his one hour of segregated exercise. Kepu had recently been reclassified as a maximum security inmate and was to be moved from Springhill to Auckland's maximum-security facility in Paremoremo.

As he left his cell, Kepu muttered some words to Mr Palmer about a misconduct report. He then punched Mr Palmer in the mouth with his right fist, causing him to fall back and hit his head on the concrete floor.

Kepu was immediately put back into his cell while Mr Palmer's associates tried to help the fallen man, placing him in the recovery position.

Mr Palmer, a father to three children, remained unconscious while he was taken by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital. He never woke up and was pronounced dead within 24 hours, having suffered a massive brain injury.

Kepu, who was handcuffed to a corrections officer and surrounded by three others and a policeman, remained impassive throughout much of yesterday's hearing.

As he was led from the court, he gestured to a number of people, understood to be family members, who were sitting in the public gallery.

His sentencing has been fixed for September 7 in the High Court at Hamilton.