A man convicted of manslaughter for a fatal prison assault has had more time added to his sentence after instigating another attack behind bars.
Levi Peter Hohepa Martin Henry Reuben, 31, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to two charges of assault with intent to injure and two charges of breaching parole.
The court heard that on November 22, 2024, the defendant, and five other inmates, were sentenced prisoners at Otago Corrections Facility, as were the two victims.
The group were in the exercise yard and a defendant was talking to one of the victims before Reuben threw a punch.
Another man then hit the victim from behind and a second victim approached before he was surrounded by the defendants.
More violence was dished out to both victims, including Reuben punching the second victim twice in the face and kneeing him twice in the head.
He continued to deliver blows while the man was on the ground, the court heard.
The first victim had a bleeding hand after the attack as well as a bruised eye and a cut to his mouth.
The second victim had multiple grazes to his head.
After the assault, Reuben was granted parole to a residential rehabilitation facility, but he was exited after testing positive for medication not prescribed to him.
In sentencing Reuben, Judge David Robinson highlighted a fatal prison assault the defendant was involved in in 2015.
On that occasion, Reuben and his co-defendants Steven Betham and Akuhatua Tihi beat up 44-year-old Benton Marni Parata in his Christchurch cell and he died six days later, Stuff reported.
Reuben was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for seven years, eight months — later reduced to six and a-half years on appeal.
Yesterday, Judge Robinson noted the defendant was the instigator of the most recent unprovoked pack attack in 2024, which he said occurred because of gang relations.
The defendant was assessed as posing a high risk of reoffending and causing harm in future, but the judge said he showed some promise during his stint at a residential rehabilitation facility.
Judge Robinson sentenced Reuben to 17 months’ imprisonment to be served on top of his existing sentence.
Four of his co-defendants were earlier sentenced for their part in the jailhouse violence.
Region Duncan was sentenced to 10 and a-half months’ imprisonment, while Laymen Renata Pere received nine and a-half months’ jail.
Donald Noel Collins-Roberts will serve an extra nine months on his current sentence for the attack and Marcus Paul Panapa had eight months added to his jail term.
One remaining co-defendant is yet to be sentenced.