Two Wanganui brothers with a history of violence were jailed for six years yesterday for an unprovoked attack on a relative that left him unconscious.
The High Court at Wanganui was told that after the attack, the brothers tipped their cousin, Mark Bartlett, over a steep bank.
The pair had also injured a second relative that same night of December 2, 2009.
Justice Jillian Mallon said Michael Wesley Kumeroa, 27, and Kelvin Martin Kumeroa, 30, had had a violent and abusive upbringing and thought that hitting out was simply "part of what you do".
Their criminal history was extensive and violent, she said.
Justice Mallon also sentenced both brothers to one year's jail for injuring another relative, Javan Kapene Te Amo, and Michael Kumeroa to an additional two months for common assault, when they appeared in the High Court at Wanganui yesterday.
All sentences are to be served concurrently but Justice Mallon did not impose a minimum non-parole period in order to give the brothers a chance for rehabilitation at an anti-violence unit.
Both had earlier been discharged on a count of attempted murder. The charge was replaced in the High Court at Wellington by one of injuring their 22-year-old second cousin Mr Bartlett with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Kelvin Kumeroa was later found guilty of that charge, while Michael Kumeroa pleaded guilty.
Crown prosecutor Lance Rowe called it a gratuitous, unprovoked attack and called for a significant sentence, particularly in light of the brothers' previous convictions.
Both brothers had served a jail term for manslaughter in 2001.
Counsel for Michael Kumeroa, Peter Brosnahan, said the most horrific part of the attack on Mr Bartlett was pushing him down the riverbank.
Mr Bartlett's injuries had been superficial and he had been kept in hospital for observation only, he said.
Michael Kumeroa was remorseful and had been embarrassed by his actions, Mr Brosnahan said.
"But that was the way his family had always lived," he said "so that sets the alarm bells ringing."
Debbie Goodlet, counsel for Kelvin Kumeroa, said though the violence had been unprovoked, it had been at the lower end of the scale.
These latest charges had arisen from a night of drinking home brew bourbon and smoking cannabis in Wanganui.
The brothers, Mr Bartlett and Mr Te Amo had driven into a petrol station before going to Kelvin Kumeroa's house to drink, the court was told.
Michael Kumeroa wasn't happy with the way a stranger, Fiatau Faalite, in another car had looked at him so he'd gone over to the car and punched him in the face.
Mr Bartlett had calmed the situation, then had to again at Kelvin Kumeroa's house when Michael Kumeroa had attacked Mr Te Amo because he refused to use cannabis.
Mr Bartlett was then set upon by the brothers who kicked him repeatedly in the body and the head until he was unconscious.
They took him by car to the Whanganui River and rolled him down a steep bank just inches away from the waters edge, the court was told.
Michael Kumeroa had only been out of jail for two months and was on parole at the time of the offending. He had been in jail for his role in the death of toddler Jhia Te Tua in 2007.
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