The father of a man murdered in a gang fight has asked a judge to set his son’s killers free, Stuff.co.nz reports.
Dilin Pakai, 20, and Shane Pierre Harrison, 44, were found guilty of murdering Alonsio (Sio) Matalasi on August 22 last year after a jury trial.
When the men were sentenced in the High Court in Wellignton today, Iafeta Matalasi asked the judge to set his son’s killers free, saying as a parent he felt for the children of Harrison and Pakai who were going to grow up without them.
Matalasi said he wanted Harrison and Pakai to make the first step to helping them live with compassion towards others, the website reported.
Pakai was sentenced to serve at least 12 years and three months’ of a life jail term. He had fired the shot that killed Matalasi outside a block of flats in Petone. Matalasi had a samurai sword and was attacking their car when he was shot.
Harrison was sentenced to life imprisonment, but has the chance of parole after serving 13 years.