Three plead guilty in High Court at Auckland to brutal torture, kidnapping

An Auckland kidnapping and torture case has resulted in a number of people appearing before the High Court, including Jade Jerome and Israel Lama earlier in May. Photo / Michael Craig

By Lucy Xia of RNZ

• Three people pleaded guilty to kidnapping and torturing a man after he slapped a gang member’s girlfriend.
• The victim was subjected to brutal assaults, including drilling, beating and being burned with hot water.
• The seven defendants, including gang member Israel Lama, face up to 14 years’ imprisonment.

Three people involved in the kidnapping and brutal torture of a man after he slapped a gang member’s girlfriend’s bottom at a bar pleaded guilty at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday.

Harmon Marcellus Unasa, Sefilino Fuli Lama and Samuel Lama were among a group that subjected a stranger to torture at a property in rural northwest Auckland in 2023, including drilling holes into his legs, hitting him with a pole and pouring hot water over him.

The three pleaded guilty to kidnapping and multiple assault charges before Justice Graham Lang and were supported by more than a dozen members of their families, including children.

Earlier in May, Head Hunters Motorcycle gang member Israel Lama, whose partner was inappropriately touched by the victim, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and a raft of assault charges.

Jade Jerome and King Cobras patched member Nathan Tuaiti also pleaded guilty at that time.

Ricky Harder was the earliest to plead guilty in October last year.

The victim, while having survived the ordeal, suffered multiple injuries – including burns to his face and chest, wounds to his legs, lacerations over his chest and bruising on his back.

He did not report the matter but was discovered by chance by police officers who were at the same hospital attending to another matter.

According to an agreed summary of facts, the victim was first confronted by Israel Lama on a street in Auckland’s CBD around 4.20am on May 28, 2023, about what he did to his partner earlier that morning. It was later confirmed through CCTV footage viewed as part of the police investigation that the victim did slap Lama’s girlfriend’s bottom.

At the time, the victim denied the act and was asked to go with the group to check the CCTV at the bar.

The victim agreed, although suspecting that something else would happen.

He was subsequently driven by the group to a house where he would be tortured for hours – after his associate, who followed the offending group’s car, was told to stop following.

Once at the house, the victim was made to strip naked and seated in a camping chair; his feet and hands were tied together with electronic cables under the direction of Israel Lama.

Head Hunters member Israel Lama (centre) during an appearance in the High Court at Auckland on torture charges. Photo / Michael Craig

Israel Lama then used a Makita electric impact driver, fitted with a screwdriver, to drill three holes in the victim’s legs as he was being held down by Jerome, Unasa and Tuaiti.

As Israel Lama drilled, he interrogated the victim about whether he had slapped his girlfriend’s bottom earlier, to which the victim continued to deny the act.

Israel Lama later directed others to get toilet paper and tape to treat the victim’s wounds.

Israel Lama then used a kitchen knife that was heated on a gas burner to burn the victim’s face and chest, as the man was held down by others in the group.

The victim was then asked to get on to the floor, where he was punched and kicked by everyone in the group.

Harder used a metal pole to beat the victim and the pole was passed around the group for others to hit the victim.

“After several blows the aluminium pole bent and became unusable. The defendants complained about this and taunted [the victim] for breaking the pole,” the summary of facts stated.

“They joked about having to beat [the victim] further for breaking their pole.”

The group continued to punch and kick the victim until Israel Lama told them to stop.

Sefilino Fuli Lama and Jerome were not charged in relation to this offence.

Later, Israel Lama poured hot water on to the victim while he was being held down by Unasa, Jerome and Tuaiti.

“[The victim] could not remain still as this occurred and squirmed around in pain,” the summary of facts said.

Israel Lama then poured hot water on to the victim’s chest and genitals after he continued to deny slapping Lama’s girlfriend’s bottom.

Jerome used a hammer to hit the victim’s legs, shins and knees repeatedly.

Jade Jerome is among those awaiting sentence over the kidnapping and torture of a man in Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig

In another round of assault, Israel Lama took the victim’s belt and whipped him, before passing the belt to others who took turns whipping the victim.

Samuel Lama also used the belt to strangle the victim for about 10 seconds.

The group rested before Israel Lama returned to further whip the victim with the belt and verbally abused him with racist comments.

“The rest of the offending group were present and encouraged Israel Lama,” the statement of facts said, and added that Lama again handed the belt to others to continue to whip the victim.

While the victim tried to loosen his restraints, Sefilino Fuli Lama struck him twice with the belt and later shaved off parts of the victim’s eyebrows.

He also burned the victim’s forehead with a lit cigarette.

Israel Lama uploaded videos of the victim being tortured to social media, including the victim being gagged and having hot water poured over him.

“Ol mate here reckons he can slap me Mrs arse in the club,” one of the captions read.

At some point, one of the victim’s associates, who was known to Israel Lama, called him to demand release of the man.

Before releasing the victim, Israel Lama told the victim that he owed him $20,000 and asked him to pay before he could release him.

The victim said he didn’t have the money but offered to work for Lama to pay it off.

The victim was given food and asked to shower before being handed over to his associates, who then took him to hospital.

The police arrested Israel Lama on June 2, 2023, and discovered on his phone a large number of videos showing the victim being tortured.

Sefilino Fuli Lama, Samuel Lama and Nathan Tuaiti are on bail, while the rest of the group are in custody.

The seven defendants are expected to be sentenced in July.

Each faces up to 14 years’ imprisonment for kidnapping and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

– RNZ