A young man’s “inquisitive and inquiring mind” might see him through a jail term and the efforts he must make to remove himself from the Nomads gang.
Shaquille Witana, 21, was sentenced to two years and one-and-a-half months’ imprisonment in the Palmerston North District Court on Tuesday for aggravated robbery, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and assaulting a prison officer.
Witana, with striking facial tattoos, appeared solemn in the dock and remained quiet during proceedings.
Defence lawyer Jacinda Younger said she wanted the court to know “how intensely proud” she was of her client.
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He had done “so much work” with a psychiatrist who he felt “was heavily invested in him” and was a now “significantly altered” man to the one she first met.
She said he had missed the birth of his son six months ago, which was a catalyst for change, but still had the support of his partner.
Witana’s father, a former gang member, had been in and out of jail during his childhood, but was now using his experience to help others.
His older brother, Karlo Witana, had overcome drug addiction to become a martial arts champion.
Another brother, Emmanuel Witana, remained vice-president of the Nomads.
SUPPLIED/Stuff
Guns and gangs go hand in hand but Shaquille Witana says he is ready for change. (File photo)
Younger said it was “almost inevitable” Witana joined the gang, but he wanted to be someone different.
He wanted to “break the intergenerational chain” and had a long-term goal of relocating to be with his older brother.
“He is trying to break free from that gang,” she said.
“He can’t stay in Palmerston North … (or) the lower North Island, where he has friends and family in the Nomads.”
Judge Bruce Northwood told Witana it wasn’t too late to give up hope.
Referring to a cultural report he received, Northwood said Witana grew up in a chaotic household full of drugs, alcohol and violence.
His parents were teens when they had him and he had 19 full and half-siblings.
He started stealing from supermarkets for something to eat at a young age and in his teens fell into methamphetamine.
Pam Corkery revisits the subject of her documentary The Gangs to find out why gang related crime has risen in New Zealand in The Gangs… 14 Years Later (Video first published in December 2022)
He experienced traumatic events in his childhood, which were not outlined in court, and suffered from PTSD and anxiety.
But during his time in jail, he had worked on a dairy farm, completed alcohol and drug courses, gained his forklift licence and studied health and safety and first aid.
“I believe you when you say you don’t want your son to end up where you are,” Northwood said. “That is a very good goal in life.
“What I learned about you … you have an interested and inquiring mind. You want to learn more.”
When arriving at his sentence, Northwood set a starting point of four years’ and eight months’ imprisonment.
Northwood allowed a discount of 25% for Witana’s guilty pleas, 10% for his young age and 20% for his background, “which I’m convinced brought you here”.
He acknowledged Witana had hoped for home detention but encouraged him to stay positive.
“When you come out [of jail] you could be a fine person, a fine father.”
Witana was also ordered to pay $250 reparation.
A 2015 study by Waikato University professor Armon Tamatea found leaving gangs was “more accurately described as a process than an event”.
A study of 21 former gang members found leaving the gang was a transition that often featured dysfunctional childhoods and abusive homes, school failure, peer rejection, delinquent behaviour and early exposure to gangs.
A summary of facts detailing Witana’s charges was not provided in time for publication.
