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Robert Richards (left) and Royden Haenga have been sentenced for murdering Hori Gage (centre) while his partner, Amethyst Tukaki, was next to him and their three children were in the back seat of their car. Photo: NZ Herald
A man who murdered a rival gang member in front of his children claims he struggles to sleep at night, haunted by the screams of his victim's young family.
Mongrel Mob member Hori Gage was gunned down by Black Power members Royden Haenga and Robert Richards on a Sunday afternoon while sitting in his car in his driveway with his family.
Haenga and Richards were baying for blood following an incident days earlier, in which their local gang president was stabbed and his patch stolen.
Except Gage had nothing to do with that incident and belonged to an entirely different chapter of the Mongrel Mob believed to be responsible for the stabbing.
He had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, while wearing a red jacket, when Haenga and Richards drove past armed with rifles.
When they spotted Gage, they turned around, stopped the car and got out.
Haenga stood next to his vehicle and shot at Gage from afar, while Richards advanced on Gage's car, shooting as he went.
Gage died at the scene, while his partner and three of his young children, all of whom were uninjured, watched in horror.
Gage was shot six times during the August 4, 2023, murder. Five bullets were found to have come from Richards' gun and one from Haenga's.
On Wednesday, they appeared in the High Court at Palmerston North for sentencing after a two-week trial this year.
Haenga's lawyer, Scott Jefferson, said his client maintained he never intended to kill Gage.
"I think what that really speaks to is his claim that he maintains to this day, that despite getting in that vehicle with a firearm intent on some form of retaliation, he never intended to end somebody's life that day," Jefferson said.
"That is the greatest distinction between the two accused.
"He thinks about that event every single day."
Jefferson said Haenga was not immune to his victim's family's trauma and could still hear Gage's children screaming.
Camera footage from a property nearby to the Gages was played at trial, and while it didn't capture visuals of the murder, gunshots and screaming could be heard in the aftermath.
A white Nissan Teana was then seen speeding past the camera, which the killers later instructed three lower-ranking gang members to set on fire in a bid to dispose of any evidence. Those three were charged and pleaded guilty to arson.
At trial, Richards denied being in the car at all while Haenga admitted being there, but claimed he never intended to kill Gage - rather only scare him.
The jury didn't buy that story and delivered guilty verdicts after 11 hours of deliberation.
At sentencing, Justice Cheryl Gwyn said while Gage wasn't the intended target, he became the object of Haenga and Richards' revenge when they went looking for someone from the Mongrel Mob.
Justice Gwyn said it showed "callousness" to target him in his car and it was "reckless" to shoot at the vehicle while children were inside.
"This was an execution-style killing," Justice Gwyn said.
She said there was a difference in each man's culpability, noting it was Richards who shot directly at Gage, while Haenga shot from the road.
Richards has a conviction history dating back to 2000, with more than 100 convictions, including for running down a police officer.
Justice Gwyn sentenced Richards to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
As for Haenga, she accepted he was remorseful for his actions.
"You say you think about the offending every day and the violence shouldn't have happened," Justice Gwyn said.
Haenga has indicated he wanted to leave Black Power and was motivated to pursue drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Justice Gwyn sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 13 years.
Applause rang out from the public gallery of the courtroom as the sentence was read out.
'A real man protects, feeds and loves'
A family member who spoke on behalf of Gage's whānau at today's hearing said Gage wasn't just a man with a patch.
He was also a loved family man, brother and protector.
"He wasn't perfect, but he was good," the woman said.
"Forgiveness doesn't come easy, healing is impossible and justice just feels like a small word."
The woman said the defendants had shown cowardice, not strength, in killing Gage.
"What you did didn't make you a man; there is no honour in what you did.
"You killed him in front of his kids, unarmed, sitting in a seat.
"A real man protects, feeds and loves."
Gage's sister, Jasmine, also gave a victim impact statement, telling her brother's killers they had stolen his life.
"And with it, a piece of us was taken too," she said.
"We feel his absence in every holiday, every birthday and every quiet moment."
Jasmine believed Richards and Haenga showed little remorse or emotion throughout the trial and they had sentenced the Gage family to a lifetime of grief.
Crown prosecutor Guy Carter submitted the murder had several standout features, including that Gage was effectively trapped in his car at the time and that he was killed in front of his children.
"This was a murder that shocks the conscience of the community," Carter said.
"It was the indiscriminate targeting of a man in front of his family."
Carter submitted Richards was especially culpable due to his long history of violence and his gang entrenchment.
The court needed to hold Richards to account to deter similar offending, Carter urged.
Richards' lawyer, Taylor Hawkins, said his client had suffered a rough upbringing and was institutionalised at a young age.
He had been abused in state care and exposed to alcohol and drugs, Hawkins said.
However, he had shown some empathy towards his victim's family and it was a positive sign for his eventual rehabilitation back into the community, it was submitted.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
