“Are you aware Mr Konui has filed his own documents for sentencing?”
That’s usually not a good sign, at least as regards the smooth passage of justice, but at Taumarunui District Court on Tuesday, Tahu Konui flipped the script somewhat.
Appearing for sentencing on one charge of assault with intent to injure, Judge Edwards told his lawyer she was aware - and that he had “done an admirable job of preparing for his sentencing”.
“He has filed a mitigation summary, personal statement of explanation and remorse and a number of character references, which focus on both the context and background to this incident and steps Mr Konui has taken since,” said Judge Edwards.
The prosecuting Sergeant appeared equally impressed with the paperwork.
“He’s got everything in order.”
Judge Edwards said Konui “contacted the police himself after the incident” and outlined what happened on June 14 to land him his day in the dock.
The victim, his father, “has been separated from your mother for some 20 years now, but comes back on occasions which causes a degree of stress and tension for your mother and also for you since you returned home,” she said.
She said Konui and his mother had attended a local club when his father turned up unexpectedly.
“He had been drinking,” she said.
He got in the car with the pair, returned to their home where an argument began, escalating to the point where Konui “punched him in the face several times with a closed fist”.
“Immediately after you phoned the police and handed yourself in.”
She said he last troubled the courts in 2010, and it was “clear from all the information you have gathered yourself. . . in a very able way. . . in all other aspects of your life you are sorted and this really was a one off error of judgement”.
She said “real tension” had been caused by his father’s return - but that he had worked hard to “change the way he responds”.
Sentencing Konui to nine months supervision and 120 hours community work, she told him he was “very much a changed man since 2010”.
“This was a one-off lapse bought on by a real degree of stress.”
Driving while disqualified proved the road to court for Jeremiah Takiwa, who via his lawyer entered a guilty plea to the sole charge.
“Has he ever held a licence?” asked Judge Edwards.
“Nah, never” said Takiwa from the dock.
His lawyer told the court he was also “on the cusp” of breaching his community work.
“He had anxiety issues,” he said.
“We had a pretty robust discussion, he knows if he doesn’t get the community work done it’s only going to get worse.”
Judge Edwards said he had previous disqualifications for drink driving and asked “shouldn’t the aim be to get him lawfully driving?”
“Having a licence he can use to get to work and live, surely, would be the ultimate aim?”
She also asked Takiwa about his community work, telling him “somewhere along the line you’ve got to start meeting people half way”.
Asked directly why he had not been doing his community work, he said “can’t be around some people”.
“Do you want to keep doing your community work hours, or start them?” she asked.
“Might,” Takiwa said.
“Might’s not good enough,” Judge Edwards said.
She said she was concerned that at age 34 he had never held a licence, and said that should be his focus.
Judge Edwards also asked for a report to examine supervision and community detention options ahead of his next appearance on January 22.
It was two for the price of one with the appearance of Mark Kampjes and his wife, Stevie-Leigh Kampjes.
The pair initially faces charges of cultivating cannabis, possession of cannabis for supply and selling the drug, but the pair eventually both plead guilty to a sole charge each - possession for supply.
Their joint sentencing will take place on February 17.
Two charges of contravening a protection order, wilful damage, assaults with intent to injure and injures with intent to injure landed Billy Anderson his appearance.
His lawyer told the court he would plead guilty to one protection order breach, and not guilty to the remaining charges.
His lawyer also asked for his election - jury trial or judge-alone - to be deferred until his next appearance on February 17.
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