The victim of a gang-related killing in Nelson was “too good for this world”, his mother said through tears today.

Tukotahi King, Tremain Whetu Wiremu Vic Turfry-Ross, and Alan Swan Norman were sentenced to prison at the High Court in Nelson on charges related to the death of Lake Takimoana in February last year after a home invasion.

Takimoana’s sister described through tears as she read her victim impact statement to the court that her brother was the heart of the family, now broken by what had happened.

King was initially charged with murder and Turfry-Ross, 24, with being party to murder while Norman was initially charged with aggravated burglary.

They pleaded guilty to amended charges two days into a trial this year.

King, described as the lead offender, was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison for manslaughter, with a minimum parole period of five years and six months.

Turfrey-Ross was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison on charges of manslaughter and arson.

Norman was sentenced to four years and eight months on charges of aggravated burglary, arson and being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter, with no minimum parole period sought.

Justice Andru Isac in the High Court at Nelson today sentenced three men in relation to the death of Lake Takimoana in February 2022. Photo / Stuff

Lake Takimoana was 22 years old when he died.

The defendants, who were all associated with the Killer Beez gang, knew Takimoana and his partner.

At 1.13pm on February 22 last year the defendants and at least one unknown associate travelled in a Toyota Hilux ute and a black Mazda Axela driven by Norman, to the victim’s home in Nelson.

One parked in the driveway and the other across the driveway entrance.

King, Turfry-Ross and the associate ran up the path beside the house towards the front door while Norman waited by the vehicles.

A summary of facts said there was no evidence Norman knew they had a gun but he knew about the bats, which were large enough to be visible to witnesses from some distance away.

King and Turfry-Ross had disguised their faces with “neck gaiters” pulled up over their mouths while the associate wore a balaclava.

King carried the gun, which was about 30 centimetres long and had a wooden stock.

The victim was in his bedroom with his partner and saw the defendants so went to the front door.

After entering the house King pointed the firearm at Takimoana and walked him backwards towards the bedroom, at which point the victim said: “Hold up brother, my missus is getting dressed”.

The defendants continued to force him back into the bedroom where they told him to get on the ground.

The victim’s partner recognised King and Turfry-Ross as they had only the lower part of their face covered.

She asked what the problem was, as Turfry-Ross put his hand on her shoulder, pushed her away and told her to back off.

The defendants demanded to know where the “dog s**t” was - a derogatory term used by rival gangs to describe a member of the Mongrel Mob.

Takimoana replied there were “no dogs in the house”, and that he was not “dog sh**”.

King slapped him in the head and Takimoana fell backwards onto the bed.

King lay beside the victim with the loaded gun pointed at his chest.

The firearm discharged. The bullet pierced Takimoana’s heart and lung before stopping at his spine. The defendants and the associate then fled.

Despite attempts by his partner to save him, Takimoana died at the scene.

Norman dropped Turfry-Ross at a motel in Tahunanui and then returned a couple of times to speak with him before the pair left the motel on foot.

Norman then crossed the road to a dairy and got into a green Suzuki Vitara driven by the associate.

They drove to a nearby fuel station where Norman filled a plastic jerry can with $20 worth of petrol, knowing by then Takimoana was dead.

They headed back to the motel and minutes later Turfry-Ross drove the Mazda to the Appleby Bridge in Tasman, followed soon after by Norman and the associate in the green Vitara.

The Mazda was left under the bridge before the associate drove Norman and Turfry-Ross back to Nelson.

Shortly after midnight on February 24 last year Turfry-Ross set fire to the Mazda, completely destroying it.

The silver ute was later found by the side of a road in Blenheim.

Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.