File image. © Andrew Bardwell
Benton Marni Parata had a reputation in Christchurch Men’s Prison’s tough Rawhiti Wing as an inmate who could look after himself and would not back down.
The 44-year-old was described in the High Court at Christchurch yesterday, by prison inmate Terence Junior Whaanga, as having “a bit of a reputation”.
He said: “You would not want to mess with him. He had some form, some standing. He was the type of man who would not back down.”
Parata was bashed in his cell on March 25, 2015, and three prison inmates are on trial, jointly charged with his murder. Steven Betham, 37, Levi Hohepa Reuben, 21, and Akuhatua Tihi, 23, all deny the murder charge but Tihi’s defence counsel Phil Shamy has indicated his client admits assaulting Parata and would plead guilty to manslaughter.
The Crown finished presentation of its case on Tuesday, the trial’s sixth day before Justice Gerald Nation and a jury. Defence evidence was called yesterday.
Defence counsel for Reuben, James Rapley, said prison was a place where violence was acceptable and disputes were settled through violence. He told the jury members that having seen news reports about inmates assaulting other inmates, they would know that prison was a violent place. “It’s almost a given, isn’t it?”
He said Parata’s death had not been intended in the assault by Tihi “but unfortunately it happened – it is tragic that a person died as a result of what he did”.
The defence position was that Tihi and Parata had a dispute to settle. “Inmates settle disputes differently than we might.” But there was no way any of the three inmates on trial – who all went to Parata’s cell – had intended to kill him.
After the assault, there was evidence that Parata was up, awake, conscious, talking, and spent a considerable amount of time cleaning up his cell. “There was nothing to suggest he might die,” said Mr Rapley.
Whaanga told the court that Rawhiti was a “pretty tough” prison wing, because of the people who were there. Prisoners would fight and spar using home-made gloves or socks on their hands.
Prisoners would fight in places where the security cameras could not see. This would be in the cells, and it was thought there was a blind spot in the yard.
Fights or assaults would take place “quite a bit” and he had seen prisoners with injuries to their faces – split lips or black eyes. He was aware that some inmates could get “shanks” – knives – if they wanted them, although weapons were not allowed.
On the morning of the assault on Parata he had gone to his cell, but when he pushed on the door Parata pushed back and stopped him opening it. He looked through the flap on the door and saw Parata standing at the sink beside the door, washing his face.
He could see that Parata was badly injured about the face and was concerned about him. He gave him a thumbs-up sign and asked he was all right. Parata replied with a thumbs-up sign, but did not speak.
Parata was found badly injured later, and died of head injuries in hospital five days later.
The trial has heard all its evidence and moved on to closing addresses.
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