R v Fore

The case of R v Fore was heard in the High Court of New Zealand, Whanganui Registry. Three defendants, Kemp Rippon, Dwayne Fore, and Daniel Whareaorere, were sentenced for their involvement in a home invasion resulting in the death of James Butler. The defendants pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and Rippon additionally pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Fore also pleaded guilty to driving offenses while on bail. The court considered the appropriate starting point for the period of imprisonment for the manslaughter charge, which was determined to be eight to nine years for participants in the offending. The court assessed the role of each defendant in the offending and applied relevant discounts and uplifts based on their individual circumstances and criminal history. The court also considered cultural and personal factors that may have contributed to the defendants' offending, applying appropriate discounts for these factors. The final sentences for the defendants were six years and six months for Rippon, four years and ten months for Fore, and four years and ten months for Whareaorere, with the latter's sentence to be served without parole. The court also sentenced the defendants for their other charges, with the sentences to be served concurrently.