Three years jail term for manslaughter

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 5

Three years jail term for manslaughter

Nelson reporter A young man convicted of manslaughter in the High Court, Nelson, this week, was sentenced to three years imprisonment by Mr Justice O’Regan yesterday. Gregory Leonard Raumati, aged 23, a concrete worker, of Motueka, was found guilty by a jury of the manslaughter of Richard Manuhira Taiwley, also known as Manu Scia Scia, by striking him on August 16 last year. The accused had many excellent qualities, had had an excellent upbringing and came from a good family, said his counsel (Mr A. E. Webber) when Raumati appeared for sentence. Raumati had only one previous conviction and counsel submitted that a sentence other than imprisonment should be imposed. Briefly traversing the evidence, his Honour said Scia Scia had been behind in the payment of rent and groceries “and then you heard in the hotel from some busybody that the deceased had said it was you who was behind.” His Honour said that Raumati had been incensed at hearing this and set out to

find Scia Scia. He had found him asleep in the bach which the two men shared and obviously the worse off for liquor. Scia Scia had denied saying anything derogatory to the accused but he had pulled him out of bed, punched him around the head and then sent him hurtling through the door where he hit his head against a concrete wall. The deceased had suffered two haemorrhages, was unconscious, contracted pneumonia and died eight days later, he said. His Honour said he ac-

cepted that the accused had since shown great remorse. Drink appeared to be at the back of it all. Raumati had been before the Court three months ago on an assault charge and on that occasion was fined. When he was not in liquor he wa>s quiet and normal, but in liquor he was not the master of his temper, and was quick to anger and violence. A human life had been taken and he did not agree that this was a case where some sentence short of imprisonment should be imposed, he said.