Two years' jail for hiding a teen murderer: Haami Hanara's father sentenced

A father of a teenage murderer has been sentenced to two years in prison after telling police and social workers he didn't know where his son was, after a fatal stabbing in Flaxmere. But Witerangi Hanara, 43 was hiding his son, Haami Hanara all along.

He originally pleaded guilty in the Napier District Court before Judge Geoff Rea to perverting the course of justice earlier this year.

He once again appeared in the Napier District Court on Friday morning before Judge Tony Adeane for sentence.

Defence counsel William Hawkins told Judge Adeane that Hanara's actions were a "misguided sense of fatherhood" and that Hanara was "sorry for what had happened".

Hawkins said that Hanara had a strong bond with his son and had been trying to contact him since his imprisonment.

Witerangi Hanara, 43, hid his son, Haami Hanara, from police. Photo / Court Reporter

Haami Hanara, now 15, was found guilty of fatally stabbing Kelly Donner, 40, on March 4 last year in Flaxmere. Four other youths were also charged for their involvement in the attack, by hurling bottles, rocks, concrete and a bicycle at Donner before his death. After Donner's death, Witerangi Hanara stopped police from arresting his son by keeping him hidden at associates' houses.

From March 6 Hanara and Haami stayed a woman's house in Napier and from March 12 to 17 he was moved to an unknown location.

He continued to tell Oranga Tamariki he didn't know here Haami was and on March 27 he contacted police to express concern that someone from Donner's family might have killed him.

On April 6, 2018, Haami Hanara was located by police in Whanganui, and was arrested and charged with Donner's murder.

Judge Adeane said Witerangi Hanara's offending could be seen as a form of "self entitlement" and those affected by his actions should have been spared of his "obstructed behaviour".

He pleaded guilty 10 months after his arrest.

Haami Hanara was found guilty of murder after stabbing Donner four times.

He was handed a life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.