Concurrent sentence for prison rampage
CHRISTCHURCH: A convicted killer who admitted going on a prison rampage was sentenced yesterday but will not have to serve any extra time behind bars.
Bronson Kelekolio (20) is serving a life sentence for the December 2012 murder of 22yearold Ashburton woman Sina Nerisa Solomona.
He was 15 when he stabbed Solomona 14 times in a frenzied attack before slitting her throat and sexually violating her.
In July 2014, he was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch to life imprisonment with a minimum nonparole period of 14 years and six months after pleading guilty to her murder.
But on December 13 last year, he and coaccused Jesse Lee Fraser became frustrated at their perceived bad treatment inside the Rawhiti unit at Christchurch Men’s Prison.
At a scheduled midmorning lockup, they refused to go into their cells, the Christchurch Dis trict Court earlier was told.
After Corrections staff locked down the area, the pair — especially 21yearold Fraser, who is serving a sentence for aggravated robbery — yelled and displayed aggressive behaviour towards them. The offenders used fire hoses to spray water around and threw hose nozzles at the unit guardroom and cell observation windows.
They then smashed up a tabletennis table and armed themselves with its metal legs.
The disturbance ended only when they were peppersprayed, contained, and taken off to another cell block.
No staff were injured but the rampage caused $6000 damage.
Kelekolio smiled as he was sentenced to six months in jail, hearing that it would be served concurrently, given that he is serving a life sentence.
Fraser, appearing via audiovisual link from Auckland Men’s Prison, accepted: ‘‘It was a heat of the moment thing and I take responsibility for what I did.’’
Fraser had been due for release in June next year but was ordered yesterday to serve an extra seven months.
Reparation of $6000 had been sought but Judge Gilbert said that was ‘‘unrealistic’’ given that both men were serving prisoners. — NZME