A New Zealand gang member who wanted to call it quits decided the only way out was to shoot his leader. Now, he heads to prison for half a decade.
Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith at the Auckland High Court sentenced Tribesman gang member and Seagent-at-arms, Teratutonu Herewini, 37, to six years in prison for the shooting of the gang’s President, Dion Snell. Though he was charged with attempted murder initially, Herwini pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
“The shots you fired were not warning shots and they were not fired at limbs. It was just luck the inflicted wounds were non-fatal. You are incredibly lucky, Mr Herewini, that you are not being sentenced for a homicide and Mr Snell is very lucky to be alive,” said Wilkinson-Smith during the sentencing phase, according to The New Zealand Herald.
In November 2022, the Tribesmen had gathered for a meeting, including Snell, when the defendant walked through the crowd holding a gun before he fired the first shot at the victim. Soon, both men and another individual were seen running through a crowded South Oakland Park. Two more shots were fired in succession, with one hitting Snell in the arm and another in his chest. The victim was rushed to Middlemore Hospital, where he underwent surgery and survived the ordeal.
Later, authorities retrieved surveillance video footage that captured the incident, that clearly identified Herewini as the perpetrator. The defendant’s lawyer, Ish Jayanandan, claimed the motive for the shooting stemmed from the defendant’s effort to quit the gang, which led to a heated argument between the duo. Furthermore, Jayanandan told the court her client was attempting to make things right with his family to avoid them getting caught up in anticipated violence.
Though Herewini had been involved in gang life since the age of 13, the court considered mitigating circumstances regarding his sentence, which consisted of the defendant not being able to attend school as a victim of child abuse. Over the years, Herewini has had forty convictions, including aggravated robbery and assault, reported Stuff.
On the other hand, Snell remained loyal to the gang code by not cooperating with investigators despite being a victim of the incident. He was last seen riding his motorbike days after his release from the hospital.
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