Station shooter Faraniko Pei hits prison officer
A man jailed for firing shots at police stations has continued playing up while in prison, taking out his frustrations by punching and kicking a prison officer.
Faraniko Francis Pei pleaded guilty in the Palmerston North District Court on Thursday to assaulting a prison officer.
Pei is serving five years and 10 months’ jail on a multitude of charges stemming from incidents in August 2015, when he used a shotgun to blow holes in two Palmerston North police stations.
He also fired the gun in the lobby of one station while an officer was present, which saw him convicted of using a firearm against a police officer.
He was in the Manawatu Prison exercise yard on August 7 when prison officers did a routine search of his cell for unauthorised items.
Pei returned to his cell to find some items had been taken.
The prison officer tried to explain what had happened and why, but Pei reacted by throwing a rubbish bin at the officer.
The officer dodged the bin, but could not dodge a punch Pei threw.
He was hit in the left temple, but managed to deflect a second punch.
Pei then grabbed the officer’s body armour and swung a punch, hitting him in the right ear.
The officer fell to the ground and was kicked multiple times by Pei.
Most kicks hit the officer in the body armour, but one hit him in the back of the neck near the top of the spine.
The officer started getting to his feet just as other officers arrived to help. He suffered bruising to his neck and temple, while his ear was cut and swollen. Pei offered no comment. Duty lawyer Penelope Walker said Pei was angry about issues he was coping with in prison.
‘‘He was frustrated and wanted to take it out on someone.
‘‘It was unfortunate he hit [the officer] but there are no lasting injuries.’’
Walker said Pei only had one previous conviction for violence, a male assaults female charge from 2013, to which Judge Gerard Lynch replied ‘‘using a firearm against a law enforcement officer might be one’’.
Pei was remanded in custody until September for sentencing and to see if restorative justice with the prison officer could take place.
Pei was seen by the Parole Board in July, but was declined an early release.
In its report, the board said Pei was a high-security inmate who had four misconducts to his name.
Pei will next appear before the board in June 2019, and will be released in June 2021 if never given parole.