Marty Te Rangi jailed for stabbing rival gang members outside Hamilton bar

It was around 6pm on February 5 this year when Te Rangi and the other defendants arrived at the Hillcrest Tavern on Clyde Street in their blue Holden.

The other defendants first saw the victims wearing red beanies walking from the tavern parking lot towards the Depot.

Due to their rival connections, the co-accused launched a verbal tirade with the victims before it escalated into a verbal fight and Te Rangi intervened.

The fight continued for several minutes before a defendant produced a large “K-Bar” style knife and handed it to Te Rangi.

The trio then attacked the two victims, kicking and punching them several times, and Te Rangi stabbed one of the victims in the torso after knocking him to the ground.

Another defendant then kicked his head.

Te Rangi kicked the second victim in the right leg, preventing him from escaping and causing him to fall. He then approached the victim as he tried to escape and stabbed him once in the right abdomen.

Te Rangi and one of the co-defendants pursued the two fleeing victims before giving up and returning to their vehicle.

While the victims were taken to hospital, the first man suffered a 10cm deep stab wound that also ruptured his liver and saw him taken to Waikato Hospital’s high care unit.

The second victim was treated for stab wounds and released the same day.

‘He wants to be who he should be’

Lawyer Charles Bean added that he was “highly respected in the community”, providing references and letters not only from Te Rangi but also from his whānau and employer.

Te Rangi wanted the victims to know how sorry he was and how he wanted to be a better role model for his whānau and “be who he was meant to be”.

Bean urged Judge Clark to grant reductions of up to 35%, with up to 10% for good character, in hopes of ending his three-year sentence.

He accepted that his good character discount should be tempered because of his past crimes, but said it wasn’t often that he saw someone receive this much support, especially from his employer.

‘Unprovoked and unprovoked violence’

Crown attorney Kasey Dillon said Te Rangi should not receive any discount for his previous good character, given his background, and described the incident as “unprovoked and gratuitous violence” against rival gang members.

He acknowledged Te Rangi’s positive comments from his employer but said “good work habits are not indicative of good character.”

He also urged Judge Clark not to make any discounts for addiction, as the defendant himself acknowledged that his addiction was not a factor in the stabbing and asked him to keep discounts to a maximum of 25%.

In his letter of regret, Judge Clark noted Te Rangi’s comments that he intended to “learn from experience” and said his behavior was “wholly inappropriate and unacceptable”.

“You also know that this whole incident could have been handled differently, and you mentioned that you would be better equipped to deal with things in a non-violent way in the future.”

He also acknowledged the damage he was doing to his whānau by getting caught up in fights.

Judge Clark acknowledged his remorse and We Were Warriors Once an upbringing that includes violence and deprivation and limits the previous good character discount to 5%.

He sentenced Te Rangi to three years and three months in prison and told him he hoped the things he wrote in his letter were “things you focus on”.

“When you return to the community, choose to do things that support your family unit and move forward in a positive way.”

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has been with NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20 years.