At the High Court in Whangārei yesterday, there was a heavy presence of police and security officers as Puriri was sentenced.
Emotions ran high and there was lingering animosity between the families at the hearing.
Three victim impact statements were read in court, with Simona’s bringing Puriri to tears as he held his head in his hand.
Simona said Reign was God’s greatest treasure sent from heaven, and heads turned whenever he entered a room.
She said she blamed herself for not picking him up earlier that day, and her life had been destroyed since his death.
“I am numb to the bone. There is no escape from this dreadful nightmare.
“It’s been eight months and I still wake up in a living hell. What do I do now? My purpose has been taken away from me.”
Simona said she still had unanswered questions relating to her son’s death, and was critical of Puriri’s actions following the tragedy.
“My son was in your care at the time of his death and not once have I received a sorry or a hug from you or your family.
“I just want to know what happened to my son.”
Simona wanted the court to know that Reign was the victim, not Puriri.
Reign Puriri was described as a gift from the heavens who lit up the room. Photo / Supplied
“The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is the duty of the living to do so for them.”
Restorative justice was offered but Simona had declined to meet with Puriri.
According to the summary of facts, on the day of Reign’s death, he was in the care of Puriri while his father, Kere Puriri, was out running chores.
The Puriri blended whānau of seven boys and one girl hail from the outskirts of Whangārei in Ngararatunua, where they farm.
Since their father’s death seven years ago, it has been the boys’ responsibility to run two farms.
Around 1.30pm, Puriri drove his ute 150m from his home on Church Rd to the neighbouring whānau farm.
Puriri’s 4-year-old daughter and Reign were in the vehicle with him.
Neither child was restrained, and the ute’s warrant of fitness and vehicle registration had expired in 2023.
They travelled along the road and then down 370m of unsealed driveway to the property, where the three spent some time.
When they left, the children climbed into the vehicle through the driver’s door, with Reign taking the passenger seat and Puriri’s daughter in the rear. Both were unrestrained.
Tyla Simona, 25, led a march in Whangārei seeking changes to how victims were treated.
As Puriri drove the ute away from the property, both children stood up.
The vehicle was 38m down the driveway as it took a moderate curve and Reign lost his balance, falling out of the window to the ground.
Puriri immediately stopped the ute and checked on Reign, who was unresponsive.
He picked the toddler up, put him in the ute and then drove at speed to get help from his partner.
They drove to Hato Hone St John’s ambulance hub in Kensington, Whangārei, and were met along the way by Kere returning from town.
Reign was then taken to the hospital, and shortly after, he was pronounced dead from injuries he suffered in the fall.
Puriri was charged with his nephew’s manslaughter in late March, in particular, neglect of his legal duty to provide the necessaries and protect Reign from injury.
He pleaded guilty in June.
Reign’s father did not read a victim impact statement in court but released a statement to NZME.
He said over the past eight months, he had often prioritised others’ needs before his own through the complexities of his son’s death.
“I have not had the opportunity to fully grieve or mourn as I have been focused on maintaining harmony within our whānau,” he said.
Aitua Puriri was sentenced in the High Court at Whangārei. Photo / NZME
“People say that I am strong, but I am not strong. My pain is a numb feeling, it’s disbelief and still so surreal and when I finally get to grieve for my baby and mourn him, I will need all of the support I can get.”
At the hearing, Crown lawyer Richard Annandale said the loss of Reign had sent ripples through the two whānau.
Annandale also acknowledged the burden Kere was facing with the reality that it was his brother who caused the death of his son.
“One can only imagine the wider impact on everyone,” Annandale said.
The Crown said Puriri was culpable of manslaughter because he failed to restrain Reign and carelessly flouted road rules.
“Mr Puriri was aware that Reign was unrestrained and continued to drive whilst Reign stood up.”
Puriri’s lawyer, Arthur Fairley, submitted that there were many voices central to the case, and acknowledged the eloquent pain expressed by the victims in their impact statements
“For any parent to lose a child at the age of Reign must be soul-breaking,” Fairley said.
Fairley acknowledged that questions had been raised about how long Reign had been standing in the vehicle before he fell out of the window.
He said: “I’m not sure, quite frankly”.
Fairley said Puriri held hope he would be able to sit down with Simona one day and apologise.
Justice Michael Robinson said a manslaughter sentencing was always difficult, as someone had died as a result of unintended actions.
“There is nothing I can do or say today that will take away your pain, your grief, or your anger,” Justice Robinson said.
“I extend the court’s deepest sympathy and I wish all of you the very best in your recovery.”
Justice Robinson said Puriri had breached Reign’s trust by not ensuring he was restrained and by allowing him to stand near an open window of a moving vehicle.
“You will never ever, ever be so careless again.”
Justice Robinson took a step back from a sentence of imprisonment as Puriri, the eldest sibling and a father of two, held significant leadership roles within his whānau.
He was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention and disqualified from driving for three years.
After the sentence was handed down, many members of the Simona family left the courtroom and could be heard yelling in an adjoining room.
In a statement to NZME from the Puriri whānau, they conveyed their grief for the loss of Reign which they also lived with daily.
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy – we are truly, deeply sorry,” they said.
“Life without Reign has changed us forever. His absence is felt in every part of our whānau, but especially for his Dad, who has shown so much strength in the face of unimaginable loss.
“The heartbreak he carries as Reign’s father is something no parent should ever have to endure.”
The statement said they hoped the public would learn from their tragedy.
“The ‘what ifs’ and regrets are always with us, and the sadness is something we wouldn’t wish on anyone. We are committed to learning from what has happened, and hope that by sharing our story, we can help keep other whānau and farming families safe from similar heartbreak.
“If even one life is saved, or one family is spared this pain, that is something we can hold on to.
“We will always miss Reign, and we look for him in the stars, knowing he is watching over us all. Ka nui te mihi maioha ki a koutou.”
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.