Guilty verdicts for mother, two sons

A mother and her two sons are in custody for a violent home invasion after a clean sweep of guilty verdicts by a Christchurch District Court jury.

The trio were flanked by seven police, Corrections staff, and court security officers as they heard the verdicts, about a day after the jury began its deliberations.

They stood impassively as Judge Brian Callaghan remanded them in custody for sentencing on September 2 and were escorted quietly out of the court.

The mother, Sarah Janine Godkin, 48, appeared to turn aside and wipe away a tear after she had heard the verdicts.

She was also convicted of sexual violation of a woman who received internal injuries during the episode of what the Crown said was frenzied violence at a house in Wainoni, Christchurch.

According to the recording of the 111 call played in court, the attack took 46 seconds.

Isaac Miles Milner, 22, and Ethan Wikaira Milner, 21, as well as Godkin, were jointly convicted on charges of aggravated burglary – using weapons during the burglary – and wounding the male victim with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

When the trial began on Tuesday last week, the jury was told that a large metal bike rack and a glass blender jug had been used in the attack on the man. The jug was smashed and caused a gash in his cheek that left a flap hanging. He had a cut to his head as well.

The woman was left bleeding after the attack, which the Crown said was carried out by Godkin.

The Crown case was that the Saturday afternoon attack was payback involving a group of several people, after Godkin had been evicted from the address when she became difficult at a party there the night before.

Godkin claimed she had been assaulted at the party. The couple who were attacked when the group smashed through the door into the bedroom had been naked in bed at the time.

The Crown used phone data records to establish that the accused had combined for the attack, as well as DNA evidence from blood on clothing to link Isaac Milner. At one stage in the recording of the 111 call, a woman is heard telling the male victim: ‘‘You beat up their mother.’’

The judge asked for presentence reports and victim impact statements for the sentencing. He noted that all three had previous offences on their record, but nothing as serious as these convictions.

He read all three of them first strike warnings under the system that imposes heavier penalties on repeat violent and sexual offenders.

He also thanked the jury for the work they had done. ‘‘This case was anything but easy,’’ he said.