R v Rangitoheriri

Morehu Rangitoheriri was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, pursuant to s 188(1) of the Crimes Act 1961. The court had to determine the appropriate sentence, considering the purposes and principles of sentencing under the Sentencing Act 2002, as well as the aggravating and mitigating features of the case. The court also needed to decide on the impact of the three strikes provisions and the principle of totality in sentencing.

The court identified multiple aggravating features, including significant violence, premeditation, serious injuries to the victim, use of weapons, targeting of the head, multiple attackers, and gang-related motivations. There were no mitigating factors. Based on these considerations and relevant case law, the court determined that the offending fell into the most serious category, warranting a starting point of nine years’ imprisonment. The court increased the starting point to 10 years, considering Rangitoheriri’s extensive history of violent offending and his current imprisonment for a similar crime. Rangitoheriri received a 25% discount for his guilty plea, resulting in a sentence of seven years and six months. Considering the principle of totality, the court set the sentence for the recent offence at four years and eight months, cumulative with his existing sentence, leading to a total of 14 years’ imprisonment. The court also stated that but for the three strikes regime, the minimum period of imprisonment would be two years and four months.