Family drinks mayhem in Flaxmere: Brothers kicked woman as she lay 'unconscious' on the ground

Four women were attacked after turning off the music at the family drinks, including one punched up to 15 times. Photo / 123rf

Two Hastings brothers have been sent to jail for assaulting five people, four of them women, at a family drinking-session.

One of the assaulted women had her cheekbone broken.

The two are Dillon Robert Solomon, who was at the time of the incident on November 25, 2017, aged 26 and recently deported from Australia following a prison term there for violence, and Harris Katene Solomon, who was just days short of his 20th birthday and without a single conviction to his name.

In Napier District Court on Friday, Dillon Solomon was sentenced to 2 years and 5 months imprisonment, and Harris Solomon's bid for home detention was rejected by Judge Tony Adeane who in sentencing the younger brother to 15 months' jail said that denouncement and a deterrent sentence had to be the focus of the penalty.

He said he had to recognise the seriousness of multiple attacks, on women, with children including a newborn baby inside the home on the property.

There was also a "home invasion" aspect of the men trying to force their way into the house as the violence spread from the area where family and friends had been what a summary called socialising with "relaxed casual drinks" in a carport.

The brothers had pleaded guilty to a joint charge of injuring with intent to injure, while Dillon Solomon also admitted one charge of assaulting a female and Harris Solomon also pleaded guilty to one charge of assault with intent to injure, one of assaulting a female and one of assault.

The summary said the brothers went to a property in Ardrossan Ave, Flaxmere, the home address of some of the complainants.

As the night progressed Dillon Solomon began egging on his brother to start a fight with a male among the gathering.

As one of the females intervened, Harris Solomon punched the man several times.

A female occupant of the house turned-off the music and said drinks were over and it was time to go, but the two brothers refused to leave, and Harris Solomon tried to push her away so he could get inside to continue punching the man.

As two more women tried to move them off the property, Harris Solomon pushed one to the ground and threw a chair at her, and kneed another of the women and punched her up to 15 times.

As that woman fled inside the brothers "focused their attention" on another victim, and after she fell to the ground both men began punching her in the face. Both were also seen to kick the apparently unconscious woman on the ground, and as Harris Solomon was hauled out of the attack Dillon Solomon punched a woman who had intervened and knocked her to the ground.

The brothers left but were found nearby with bloodied clothing, but without explanations for what they had done.

The woman who had been kicked on the ground suffered a fractured cheekbone and a broken nose, whole other victims suffered bruising, one a bloodied nose another a cut inside her mouth.

Judge Adeane said he had victim impact statements from two of the complainants, both had said they just wanted to "move on", although the judge said there was a suggestion some may have been in a fear of retaliation of they provided further help to the courts.