Six jailed for kidnapping, manslaughter

AUCKLAND: Six men have been jailed for the kidnapping and manslaughter of a woman who fell from the boot of a moving car in south Auckland.

Jindarat Prutsiriporn (50) died in hospital two days after escaping from the car’s trunk and hitting her head on the road in the suburb of Papatoetoe in March last year.

Eleven people were arrested after her death, six of whom went to trial in May facing manslaughter and kidnapping charges, the rest having earlier pleaded guilty to their parts.

A jury in the High Court at Auckland found Seng Liev, Apichart Korhomklan and Luigi Havea guilty of one charge of manslaughter and one of kidnapping each.

At sentencing yesterday, Justice Matthew Palmer sentenced Liev to 12 years and four months’ jail, Korhomklan to 10 years and eight months and Havea to 10 years and three months.

Tafito Vaifali and Joseph Haurua, who were found guilty of manslaughter and had earlier pleaded guilty to kidnapping, were sentenced to seven years and 10 months’ and six years and six months’ jail, respectively.

Sodarith Sao had earlier pleaded guilty to kidnapping and manslaughter and was sentenced to nine years and four months’ jail.

Panepasa Havea and Raymond Brown were sentenced in the High Court at Auckland on June 8, each on a conviction for kidnapping — Havea was jailed for three years eight months, while Brown was sent to prison for 25 months.

Prosecutors said Liev had bad blood with Ms Prutsiriporn and called on the Head Hunters gang’s specialist ‘‘Ghost Unit’’ to help kidnap her.

Texts from Haurua described a ‘‘snatch job’’ and called the target an ‘‘idiot that owes big money in product’’.

According to prosecutors, Ms Prutsiriporn was lured out of her Waterview home under the false pretence of a drug deal on February 29, where Ghost Unit member Havea was waiting for her with a gun.

Tied up and thrown into a car boot, she was moved by the defendants between homes and garages over 22 hours, before forcing open the boot of the car carrying her and falling on to the road, on March 1. — NZN