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Jerome Whittaker
.
Grevious premeditated assault on New Plymouth man Paul Montgomery for no reason in November 2006
Had no previous convictions for violent offending
Paul Montgomery
Qwinton Watane
Mitchell Whittaker
Uru Taha " West Siders"
Born 1986
Prison
Sentenced to four years six months in September 2007
First parole hearing May 2008
Due for next hearing November 2010
Will be out by sentence end date May 2011
Background
From the Daily News 13/09/2007
A New Plymouth man has been jailed for 4 years 6 months for his part in an unprovoked street assault that was so vicious it left the victim with the attacker's shoe print on his face. Jerome Whittaker (21), unemployed, appeared in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday to admit injuring Paul Montgomery with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Whittaker had been with two associates in New Plymouth on November 4 last year. The trio was seen shortly after 7.30pm harassing a woman in a parked car before threatening to "punch out" her male passenger. Witnesses said the men appeared to be looking for a fight as they walked aggressively on to Powderham St. As Mr Montgomery went to walk past the men he was pushed, before being punched to the ground. As he lay in the foetal position, trying desperately to protect himself, he was kicked repeatedly in the head.
The force of the blows left a shoe print on Mr Montgomery's face that was still visible several hours later. He was knocked out and suffered injuries to his head, neck and face. As the group ran away, witnesses were warned they would be "smashed and put in ICU (intensive care unit) too". Whittaker and his associates were arrested a short time later by police, but denied any knowledge of the attack. Defence counsel Turitea Bolstad said she could offer little in mitigation, other than the fact Whittaker had no previous history of violent offending. Judge Allan Roberts said the attack was made worse because the victim was a sickness beneficiary and Whittaker had shown little or no remorse. He said the attack was premeditated and involved extreme violence against a vulnerable victim. "He was up against three of you and was without a chance," Judge Roberts said.
From the Daily News 31/10/2007
THE lack of a remorse from two New Plymouth men responsible for an unprovoked vicious street attack continued at their sentencing yesterday. Qwinton Watene (24) and Mitchell Hadley Whittaker (19) laughed and smiled as they gave the press bench the West Side gang signal before they cheered and yelled down the courtroom stairs to their cells after each had been given 4 year 6 month jail sentences. Both were found guilty by a jury last month of injuring Paul Montgomery with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Mr Montgomery had been walking down New Plymouth's Powderham St minding his own business last year when the pair, along with Jerome Whittaker, attacked him. After blind siding him with punches, the trio kicked him repeatedly as he lay unconscious on the ground.
Jerome Whittaker never went to trial after admitting the attack and was given the same 4 year 6 month jail sentence. Defence counsel for Watene, Barry Henderson, and Julian Hannam for Whittaker, offered little in mitigation yesterday, both accepting of the jail term that had been indicated by Judge Allan Roberts. He condemned the "cowardly attack" on a victim who struggled for weeks with the after effects of the daylight beating. Watene and Whittaker had already patterned an extensive criminal history --Watene for injuring with intent and assaulting police, while Whittaker had convictions for burglary and assault with intent to rob.
