[ad_1]
Christel Yardley / Stuff
A jury had found Jamie Pink guilty of swinging an ax at a fellow Tribal Huk in August 2018.
An ax attack has sent the leader of the Waikato sandwich gang to jail, marking the end of the provision of school lunches for children in need.
Long-time Tribal Huk leader Allan James Pink, better known as Jamie Pink, was jailed for seven years and four months for the roadside attack on former Sgt-at-Arms Zion Coker.
Supporters of Pink, 49, packed the public gallery at Hamilton District Court Monday afternoon.
They listened intently as Judge Robert Spear sent Pink to jail, beat his chest and raised his arms as he was carried out of the courtroom.
The attack on Coker occurred on August 8, 2018, on what was then State Highway 1, which ran through Ngāruawāhia.
Pink used the blunt edge of an ax to cut logs to attack Coker’s legs, the court heard.
Pink was tried and, in September, a jury found him guilty of injuring with intent to cause serious bodily harm.
The charge comes with a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
It was concerning that Pink felt capable of “carrying out such a brazen attack” in broad daylight, on the side of the road and in a small community like Ngāruawāhia, Judge Spear said.
“Certainly believing that no one would have the will to present evidence against you. This cannot be allowed to go unchecked. “
“It was clearly your intention to maim this man the best you could without risking his life.”
However, he acknowledged that Pink was “a rather curious mix of one person” who had also done good in his community.
That included the gang, under his leadership, serving lunches to about 1,000 school-age children a day at the height of operations.
“Unfortunately, due to his crime and the fact that he will be incarcerated, that program will come to an end.”
The Tribal Huk became known internationally as “the sandwich gang” because they were making and delivering sandwiches to socially disadvantaged children in schools in the region.
Pink has also made headlines for her attempts to rid Ngāruawāhia of methamphetamine, a campaign that led to her Ford Explorer being attacked during a confrontation on a rural highway in 2016.
The Huks also organized a Christmas party for children and gave money to schools for drug education, Judge Spear said.
More soon.
