Five years ago Japhet Simiona was on track to put his violent and bullying ways behind him.
At the time Simiona was on a Mana Social Services pilot project designed to combat bullying in schools after he was caught bullying his peers out of their lunch money. He was touted as
one of the success stories of the restorative justice project but funding dwindled and it was withdrawn from Rotorua schools in 2005.
This week, the now 18-year-old appeared in court charged with the machete attack on Senior Constable Bruce Mellor near Taihape this month.
Simiona and a 14-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge Peter Callinicos in the Youth Court in Wanganui, charged with attempted murder. They are also charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and arson.
It is alleged Mr Mellor, a 35-year veteran police officer, pulled the pair over about 6am on December 11 because the Mazda car they were in was being driven erratically. Mr Mellor was repeatedly hit with a machete as he walked back to his patrol car to check the driver's details.
Mr Mellor suffered serious injuries to his head and face and was left with gashes, a broken jaw, multiple skull fractures and a finger on his left hand was nearly cut off.
Both teenagers have been remanded in custody without plea and are due back in court on January 12.
When Simiona appeared in The Daily Post in 2005 as a 12-year-old student at what was then Sunset Junior High School, he said he learned a lot on the Te Puni Kokiri-funded programme, which incorporated a Clean Anger course, drug awareness education and a residential taiaha training week on Mokoia Island.
At the time he told The Daily Post he was pleased to have done the course as he had made friends with children he used to bully.
- additional reporting by APN & News Media
