Judge finally applies Three Strikes as Parliament intended

21st August 2018

Today, a judge of the High Court finally had courage and integrity to apply the three strikes (3S) law as parliament intended it to be applied. Hayze Waitokia was appearing for sentence for his third strike, the stabbing of another man in the leg. While on remand awaiting sentence, he had seriously assaulted a prison guard. He was sentenced to the maximum seven years, to be served without parole.

“This man is a perfect example of the kind of offender 3S was intended to target” said Sensible Sentencing three strikes spokesman David Garrett.

“His first strike offence was the same as his third, wounding with intent to injure, during a prolonged beating involving weapons, an offence committed with his father, clearly another violent thug. His second strike offence was indecent assault on a 17 year old girl in the street. There can be mimimising that offence as was scandalously done in the case of the first third striker”
“The media often seize on the supposed minor nature of strike offending.

The effect of the indecent assault on Waitokia’s second strike victim was profound and long lasting. She was digitally penetrated while Waitokia attempted to remove his pants, clearly intended to rape her. She only managed to escape when she bit his arm. Waitokia expressed no remorse. At a pre-sentence interview for this third strike offence, he declined to even discuss his second strike. His victim in that case meant nothing to him She on the other hand will remember what may have been her first sexual experience for the rest of her days.” Garrett said.

“During the sentencing for the third strike offence, Justice Collins made it clear there was no suggestion that Waitokia had not understood the two prior warnings he had been given. Clearly, he either simply doesn’t care who he hurts, or he has no control over his actions. He is exactly the kind of offender 3S was intended to target, and lock away for a long time” said Garrett.

“One thing stands out in the sentencing notes which is particularly relevant to Andrew Little’s talkfest present going on in Wellington. Waitokia began smoking cannabis and methamphetamine at age 13. Where were his parents, or the oft referred to wider whanau then? Sadly we know part of the answer – his father is the thug who assisted him seriously assault his first strike victim. So much for the wonderful influence of the whanau we are always hearing about.”

“Hayze Waitokia aged 26, and men like him, are lost causes. It doesn’t matter a damn what kind ofcourses he undertakes in prison, or whatever other boxes he ticks while there. He already has 14 previous convictions, six of them for serious violence, often domestic violence. He is modelling the behaviour he was no doubt exposed to in whatever hell hole was his home – the type of home facilitated by successive governments following the ridiculous mantra that ‘all forms of whanau are equally valid’.

If Andrew Little really wants to make a difference, rather than ranting and raving about the supposed injustice of three strikes, he should listen to people like Judge Andrew Becroft”

“Judge Becroft is certainly no fan of three strikes, but through his work as Childrens’ Commissioner he knows that six is the age when interventions might just stop another Hayze Waitokia from later menacing others, not age 26. Until those meaningful and possibly effective interventions begin – if they ever do – three strikes will sadly be necessary to keep people like Hayze Waitokia away from the rest of us”

ENDS

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