3:30 pm - By TONY STICKLEY and JOSIE CLARKE
Three members of one family have received record prison sentences for an unprecedented series of burglaries following the longest and most costly trial in New Zealand history.
Phillip Tukuafu was today jailed for 13 1/2 years by Judge Charles Blackie at the
Manukau District Court while Rex and John Tukuafu were each sentenced to 12 1/2 years jail.
Alex Tukuafu, and Leon White received five year terms, Reece Tukuafu three and a half years and Steven Tukuafu was given nine months suspended for 18 months with six months periodic detention.
Previously the longest sentence for burglary was nine years.
The seven, most with long criminal histories, were found guilty by a jury late last year on a total of 247 charges, principally burglary.
Because of lack of space at the new Manukau District Court, the trial was held at the High Court building in Auckland.
It lasted more than six months, involved 17 lawyers, some 600 witnesses and 700 exhibits and cost the taxpayer roughly $2.5 million in legal fees.
Judge Blackie said that the case was unique as it involved a number of brothers, the son of one of them and a father-in-law.
With the exception of Steven Tukuafu, who had no previous criminal history, the rest could only be described as recidivist offenders with a formidable list of previous convictions.
Adding all their convictions together the judge said it totalled 650 of which 328 were for burglary.
