Tongan men found guilty of kidnapping and manslaughter [1]
Thursday, July 13, 2017 - 12:57. Updated on Thursday, July 13, 2017 - 12:58.
In the New Zealand High Court yesterday, two men of Tongan descent, Luigi Havea (26) and Panepasa Havea, were found guilty of the kidnapping and manslaughter of a 50-year-old Thai woman, Jindarat Prutsiriporn.
Luigi and Panepasa Havea, were among ten accused found guilty of kidnapping Jindarat from her home on March 1 last year. Another Tongan man charged in the case, Tevita Fangupo, was cleared of kidnapping charges.
The ten people found guilty in the case are Seng Lek Liev (25), Joseph Haurua (33), Sodarith Sao (25), Aphichart Korhomklang (30), Luigi Havea (26), Panepasa Havea (25), Masi Vaifale (34), Rogers Paleaaesina (25), Raymond Brown and a woman with name suppression.
According to the prosecution, the accused men tied-up and gagged Jindarat, and placed in her the boot of a car. The victim died from her injuries sustained after she fell from the boot of the car as it was driving.
The New Zealand High Court made the verdict yesterday after two days of deliberation by a jury.
According to the prosecution, Luigi and Panepasa were associates of the Head Hunters gang, and were hired by Seng Lek Liev to carry out the kidnapping. Jindarat was lured into a car under the pretence of a drug deal.
Prosecutors said Jindarat was driven to West Auckland, and transferred to other cars and houses before being stored in the boot of a car. She used a knife and sharpener to open the boot of the car but fell out on to the road as the car was driving through South Auckland, Papatoetoe. She later died of her injuries in hospital.
New Zealand Police stated that Jindarat had links to organised crime and was facing drug charges before her death.