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Offender Databases Mapesone Masoe

Mapesone Masoe

Alias

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Offences

Attempted murder of his ex-wife's new partner in Porirua in February 2006

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

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Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1947

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to six years in September 2006

Background
From the Dominion Post 15/09/2006
A man who tried to kill his former wife's new partner, who had been the couple's church pastor, was today sentenced to six years in jail. Mapesone Masoe, 58, from Naenae, appeared at the High Court in Wellington having pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted murder. Justice Denis Clifford said Masoe, a married but separated father of two, faced a maximum sentence of 14 years. In October 2005 Masoe and his wife, who had been happily married for 20 years, separated, intending to divorce. Masoe suspected his wife was having an affair and the separation was not amicable. The third party was Ofisa Malini, a one-time minister at Masoe's church. Justice Clifford said Mr Malini had feared for his safety before the attack and made plans to leave Wellington.

At one stage Masoe had threatened to cut off his head. On February 3, Masoe drove to Mr Malini's house to collect his son. His former wife was not there, so Masoe drove around Porirua, looking for her and Mr Malini. At around 8pm he found them at a bus stop. He confronted his wife then saw Mr Malini and grabbed a kitchen knife with a 10 centimetre blade. He chased the victim for about 150 metres, until Mr Malini was overcome by asthma. Then Masoe attacked him about the head and back, stopping only when Mr Malini bit him. Masoe then pushed the knife into Mr Malini's neck, cutting muscles and narrowly missing the jugular vein. He was restrained by members of the public before police arrived. Masoe's wife was also injured in the attack. Masoe admitted to police he stabbed Mr Malini, but said he had no choice and that he had wanted to "finish him" for ruining his marriage.

Masoe's lawyer Tony Rickard-Simms said the incident and sentencing were particularly emotive and had all the elements of a novel. Masoe was involved in a love triangle with his wife and their former pastor. Masoe had arranged his life around looking after his 15-year-old wheelchair-bound son, working his bus driving shifts around getting his son to school. The pair had a very strong bond, which would cause Masoe the most suffering in jail, Mr Rickard-Simms said. The attack was not premeditated and Masoe had not intended to harm his wife. He said there was a degree of provocation in that Masoe's wife had betrayed him and had her bags packed, ready to go to Auckland with her new partner. Justice Clifford said Masoe was effectively a first-time offender. The case was very tragic, but the violence was of a very serious nature. He reduced a starting jail sentence of nine years to a six-year term.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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