Whānau and friends of a much-loved Taranaki man believe his coward-punch killer’s prison sentence is not tough enough.
Daytona Thompson, who killed videographer Daniel Nganeko, and filmed and taunted him as he lay dying, will remain locked up for four years and two months.
Nganeko, 37, died after a punch outside of the Tukapa Rugby club in New Plymouth during the club’s prizegiving in July.
Thompson, 22, was sentenced in the High Court at New Plymouth on Tuesday.
Over 100 supporters of the Coward Punch Movement waited outside court to hear the outcome.
As Nganeko’s father Te Uraura Nganeko broke the news, “the judge has sentenced Daytona Thompson to four years, two months,” the crowd gasped in disbelief.
“All we heard in his summing up was the discounts that are available, the discounts that he would apply in the rationale for [Thompson’s offending]. But, yes, very shocked,” he said on the megaphone on the steps of the courthouse.
Nganeko’s Auntie Sandra McGee was disgusted with the sentence.
“My nephew, Daniel Nganeko, is dead and this thug gets four years, two months. What a fricking joke.
“All the evidence that was gathered of the events of that night, when he punched him and he landed on his rear lobe, he was pretty much dead then.
Thompson had filmed Nganeko as he laid lifeless after striking him in the head.
“New Zealand justice system is a fricking joke, it needs to change and it needs to change right now. Enough is enough,” McGee said.
Denise Grant, a friend of McGee, was distraught.
“Bulls***. This isn’t justice for families, no, it’s not f****** justice,” she cried.
“And it’s going to continue to happen if people don’t get justice and don’t get a longer sentence at the end of the day.”
The whānau of Nganeko had set up the Facebook page coward punch movement to advocate for harsher penalties given to a one-punch perpetrator.
In June, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the government would introduce an assault offence for one-punch attacks which caused grievous bodily harm.
If the offender intended to injure the victim or acted with reckless disregard for safety, they would receive eight years imprisonment. Fifteen years imprisonment would be given when the offender intended to cause grievous bodily harm.
A culpable homicide offence for a one-punch attack resulting in death would come with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
“We feel helpless, really, because of how the system works,” Nganeko’s Uncle Waimura Nganeko said
“Everyone just needs to remember when they vote, what do politicians stand for, basically? Is it right?
“We’ve got a life sentence, and the perpetrator hasn’t.”
Nganeko was of Taranaki and Ngāti Ruahine descent and had returned to Taranaki after living in Melbourne for nine years.
Waimura said he wanted to realign himself with where he had come from.
“He made the decision that he wanted to be a secondary school teacher only a month or a couple of weeks before he died.”
He had many friends, whānau, and he was a twin.
“Daniel, as my brother said, was the first Nganeko to go to university. He had a lot to offer, He was just open, friendly… Yeah, he’ll just be missed immensely.”
A member of the Tukapa Rugby club Paige Burrows was there on the night of the attack.
“It’s just scary and sad to think that something so significant that’s impacted so many lives can be disregarded with such a small sentence. It doesn’t sit well with me, and I think that we all agree that the law needs to change.”
“I think that Dan and his whānau deserve way better. And hopefully we can push for better.
She said the sentence was a joke.
“This is just a few years of someone’s life for someone’s whole future and day-to-day lives of everyone here [outside the courthouse].
“It’s a bit of a slap in the face, like it meant nothing. There’s a whole lot of love and not a lot being reciprocated in the courts.”
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Nganeko’s father said the day he lost his son had been devastating.
He said now, the date Thompson was convicted, was the time to start pressuring politicians.
“I understand the current laws and the legislations and the restrictions on judges to actually change the way they sentence.”
“So, the whole focus is now on our MPs. We have to lobby our MPs and ensure they want to change. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
He said he will be confronting MPs to ask who they stand with, and will be carrying the kaupapa forward with not-for-profit Walk Without Fear Trust who work in youth education, violence prevention, and advocate for change.
“This is all about changing the law, so things like this can’t happen again.
“Yes, very disappointing result. We all love Daniel, we all know that he was a good man of integrity and kindness, and we all know what that guy is… Daytona Thompson, he’s nothing but a thug.”
Treasurer and Secretary of the Walk Without Fear Trust Mike Angove questioned Thompson’s sentence.
“Four years, two months. That’s a success story. It’s ridiculous…”
By Emma Andrews of rnz.co.nz
