Son who helped dad beat and club a man to death jailed

Lance Ati Jackson Bush held Brent Brown down as his father, Lance Tangiriki Bush, beat and clubbed him to death – all for an old, maroon Ford Fairmont valued at no more than $800.

Bush Jnr, 29, was jailed for six years and nine months when he appeared in the High Court at Hamilton on Friday.

It brought an end to a brutal saga in which Brown was murdered in his own bedroom in a boarding house in Poaka Ave, Hamilton, simply because Bush Snr wanted the inoperative, immobile Fairmont for himself.

Justice Rebecca Edwards recounted how Bush Jnr restrained the 45-year-old victim as Bush Snr, 49, rained blow after blow upon him.

Bush Jnr had not been told by his father or a third offender, Daniel Tai Houia, 47, that the purpose of their visit to the Poaka Ave house on the night of August 31, 2016 was to rob Brown of his car.

Bush Jnr had gone into the house, but had not entered Brown’s bedroom until he heard a ruckus inside.

Although the Crown accepted that Bush Jnr had not inflicted any of the violence upon Brown, the extent of his involvement was evidenced by his bloody hand and thumbprints found on the walls and a computer monitor.

Bush Jnr had apparently been upset by the violence his father was meting out, and left the house, initially pursued by his father.

He ended up walking home while Bush Snr returned to inflict more violence on Brown before he and Houia attached the Fairmont to a utility and towed it from the property. It is not known what became of the car.

Bush Snr was last month jailed for life, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years. He had pleaded guilty to charges of murder and aggravated robbery midway through a five-week High Court trial.

Bush Jnr, who was also facing a murder charge, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter soon after his father did.

Houia, who had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated robbery before the trial began, was later jailed for three years and four months.

In court on Friday, Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster called on Justice Rebecca Edwards to adopt a starting point of eight to nine years in prison.

Bush Jnr’s involvement in Brown’s death was far from peripheral, and had he not been there to restrain the victim his father would likely never have inflicted the fatal blows upon him.

‘‘He played an integral and active part in what can only be described as a ferocious assault.’’

However defence counsel Thomas Sutcliffe argued it was ‘‘pure speculation’’ his client’s participation in the offending had led directly to Brown’s demise.

While Bush Jnr restraining Brown made it easier for Bush Snr to assault him, ‘‘It’s not a ‘but for’ situation’’.

Sutcliffe said Bush Snr had been a long-term member of the Mongrel Mob and had been raised in a profoundly dysfunctional household.

‘‘He was clearly under the influence of his father . . . He has had little chance of a decent life.’’

Justice Edwards sided with Sutcliffe on the importance of Bush Jnr’s participation.

‘‘I cannot make that inference,’’ she said.

She sentenced him to six years and nine months with no minimum parole period.

‘‘He played an integral and active part in what can only be described as a ferocious assault.’’ Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster