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Andre Chumko / Stuff
The site of Michael Huata’s murder, in Mohaka, Hawke’s Bay.
A Wairoa man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of another man when he was shot in the face at point-blank range.
Ben Lambert, 22, was sentenced in Gisborne Superior Court on Friday for the murder of Michael Huata in June last year.
Judge Robert Dobson sentenced Lambert to life in prison with a minimum probation period of 10 years.
Huata, 29, a father of five, was shot in the face by Lambert, who was standing just a few steps away when he pulled the trigger of a sawed-off shotgun, on the night of June 18.
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* Ben Lambert pleads not guilty to the murder charge of Michael Huata
Lambert was due to stand trial for the murder last month, but pleaded guilty on the day the trial was to begin.
Andre Chumko / Stuff
Huata had climbed a fence and was heading to a neighboring house when Lambert confronted him.
The confrontation between Lambert and Huata occurred in Mohaka, south of Wairoa. It was the culmination of several days of conflict, fights, threats and alleged robberies, between Lambert and other people living in the Mohaka and Raupunga areas.
On the night of the murder, Lambert went to a Mohaka home armed with the severed semi-automatic shotgun. She took a position that allowed her to see the house, within which was a man she wanted to confront.
He saw Huata arrive in a car with another resident.
Huata had come to the management because he was concerned about the incidents of the previous days and was concerned for the safety of three children in the house.
At some point in the night, when it was already dark, Huata left the house and climbed a small fence to go to the neighbor’s property.
As he did so, Lambert came into view and told Huata to go back to the house and find the man he wanted to confront.
Andre Chumko / Stuff
The scene where Michael Huata was killed. Later, the family identified Lambert as a possible suspect.
Huata did not reply and kept advancing towards Lambert. Both men were members of the Black Power gang and had known each other for a long time.
Lambert raised the firearm and told Huata to look for the man. Huata paused briefly, remained silent, and then continued walking towards Lambert.
Lambert raised the barrel and pointed it at Huata, saying, “I’m not fucking around my n …..”.
Both men could see eye to eye.
Lambert would later say: “I saw fear in people’s eyes and when I looked into his eyes for the last damn time I never saw that look in his eyes. He wasn’t scared. “
Monique Ford / Stuff
Judge Robert Dobson sentenced Lambert in Gisborne Superior Court on Friday. (File photo)
Lambert took a deep breath, raised the barrel and said, “I f … my gangsta,” then pulled the trigger.
He was 1.5 meters from Huata, who suffered a massive injury to his lower face and neck.
Huata, who was not armed, was taken to Wairoa hospital but died of his injuries.
Lambert then walked away. About 10 kilometers north of Mohaka, he drove to a secluded area and abandoned the car. He walked through farmland and threw the gun into a stream and then walked down a train track to his home.
Lambert was identified early on as a suspect, but there was no direct evidence linking him to the crime at the time.
Later he met with the police and told them that he was the shooter. The firearm was found in the stream.
