The Toyota vehicle which was shot at by homeowner Orren Scott Williams after the group of four smashed their way into his home during the early hours of June 6, 2019. Photo / Dean Taylor
The Toyota vehicle which was shot at by homeowner Orren Scott Williams after the group of four smashed their way into his home during the early hours of June 6, 2019. Photo / Dean Taylor
A young mother remains haunted from having to lower her two children out of a bedroom window and sprint across farmland into the darkness after a group of armed men burst into their home.
Kawhia mum Taryn Williams didn't have time for shoes or to wrap her children in warm clothing after being assaulted by the intruders nearly three years ago.
She says she'll never forget the sound of smashing glass as the masked intruders, Grayson Toilolo, Shaun Te Kanawa, Joe Tumaialu and Faalili Moleli Fauatea - who was fatally shot, stormed into their rural home about 3am on June 6, 2019.
Toilolo appeared before Judge Jonathon Down for sentencing in the Hamilton District Court today on charges of aggravated burglary, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and injuring with intent to injure after being found guilty at a trial earlier this year.
His co-accused earlier pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison sentences.
Orren Williams, 40, was found not guilty of Fauatea's murder by a jury in September 2020.
Crown prosecutor Paige Noorland read out the victim impact statements of Taryn Williams and her husband, Orren, detailing the fear they felt at the time, and the retribution they still fear may occur.
In her statement, Taryn Williams said she can also still see the four masked men bursting into their family home.
"The man with the gun was so arrogant ... and pointing it at me with enjoyment."
While she suffered physical injuries, from having to carry her two freezing children across rough terrain in the pitch black, it was the psychological damage that remained.
She also spoke of having to relive the trauma of that night, by giving evidence at trial, as she was just beginning to make some headway in recovering.
Williams also struggled to understand how someone could offend in such a way against children.
Homeowner Orren Scott Williams pictured during his trial in September 2020. Photo / Belinda Feek
Toilolo, now aged 21, and his co-offenders went into the Harbour Rd home looking for drugs.
The couple both spoke of how Toilolo "wasn't man enough" to take responsibility and plead guilty to his offending earlier like his co-accused.
The armed burglary
On the night of June 5, 2019, Te Kanawa and another co-offender, Emma Salvation, hatched a plan to break into the house and steal an amount of cannabis which she dubbed "a good earn".
However, she warned Te Kanawa, that "if [Williams] catches you he will shoot you".
Te Kanawa, and this three male co-offenders, knocked on Williams' door about 3am the following morning.
Already up as he was looking for an inhaler for his child, Williams opened the door to be confronted by the group wearing some sort of disguise on their faces.
The door was kicked in and a group of men stormed into the house and down the hallway.
The noise awoke Taryn Williams who got up to see what the commotion was to see the men armed with a gun, another a machete.
The intruders attempted to get the situation under control, assaulting Taryn and leaving her in the foetal position on the floor.
While the intruders had the attention of Orren Williams, Taryn Williams got up, gathered her children, and lowered them out of a bedroom window before running to safety across a paddock into the darkness.
Orren Williams managed to break free from the offenders and ran to grab a gun out of his gun cabinet. The group fled as Williams fired several shots into the darkness, hitting each of them and one fatally.
Noorland urged the judge adopt a similar starting point of his co-accused of between 9 and a half and 10 years and also pointed to Toilolo's criminal history in Australia before he was deported back to New Zealand and carried out this offending soon after.
Toilolo's counsel, Charles Bean, was unsuccessful at trial in submitting his client didn't enter the house, with Judge Down reconfirming that it was his footprint that was found on a door.
Bean asked the judge to come to an end jail term of four years after taking into account his remorse, his youth, and contents of his S27 cultural report.
However, Judge Down struggled to find any remorse, instead from what he had read, Toilolo had expressed more sorrow for the loss of his friend.
"None of this would have happened if Mr Toilolo and his mates had not invaded [Williams'] house that night.
"Toilolo received a gunshot to his abdomen but has made a full recovery. Another person suffered a permanent arm injury, and another a permanent leg injury.
"It's plain from the reports that Mr Toilolo is traumatised himself ... it doesn't help to point out that was brought on by their own actions."
In jailing Toilolo for seven years, the judge also accepted the Crown's submission to also hand down a minimum non-parole period of 50 per cent, just like his co-offenders.
"Frankly, it's more necessary when you look at the two co-offenders because they did show remorse and showed it properly by pleading guilty.
"Mr Toilolo has not done so ... he has therefore displayed that he is not remorseful and that he presents an ongoing and continuing danger to the public."
