Two of three men convicted of assault after a brawl in south Auckland in which a man was run down and killed were granted home detention today, while the third man will serve his time in prison.
Ekuini Purcell, Timo Fa'auli, 23 and Ralph Wendt, 23, were last month handed prison sentences of between 19 and 22 months on charges of injuring with intent to injure. They appeared in the High Court at Auckland today for home detention to be considered.
Fa'uali will serve 11 months home detention and Wendt 10 months, while Purcell's application was turned down because he did not have a suitable address so he will serve his original 19 month sentence in prison, Justice Forrest Miller said.
Purcell's brother Spencer Purcell, 24, was jailed last month for four years and 11 months for the manslaughter of Senituli Siulua.
Mr Siulua died when he was knocked down by a car driven by Spencer Purcell as he was trying to escape a brawl started by one of Purcell's friends in Papatoetoe, south Auckland, on April 26, 2008.
Purcell revved his engine a few times to try to disperse the people before driving off. He struck Mr Siulua, who received brain injuries which killed him.
Purcell admitted the manslaughter charge and two counts of injuring with intent to injure at the beginning of a scheduled trial in August.
Ekuini Purcell and Fa'auli admitted three counts of injuring with intent to injure shortly afterwards. Wendt was subsequently found guilty of one charge of injuring with intent to injure and not guilty of two others.
