Breach leads to jail term for transgender man

A transgender man will be kept apart from other New Plymouth prison inmates for the length of his six-month prison sentence.

Hina Tutaki, also known as Hendrix Waitere, was sent to jail yesterday after admitting making a break from home detention which was being served at his mother's home.

Tutaki was last year given a sentence of home detention on a raft of mostly fraud-related offences. At the time, the home detention was allowed, mostly because of the tormenting the effeminate man would likely face in prison.

Tutaki yesterday pleaded guilty to several charges, including a home detention breach on January 28, and assault on a pregnant woman.

He made off, stealing a car, driving off from a petrol station at Urenui without paying for $90 worth of petrol, all the while driving drunk and without a licence.

When stopped by police he blew 647mg. The legal limit is 400mg.

Tutaki also admitted falsifying a credit note from Work and Income for clothing and falsely obtaining $1595.26 worth of Telecom services.

Defence lawyer, Kylie Pascoe, said it would be difficult for her client in jail. In the segregated section of the prison, Tutaki would face longer lockdown times than other prisoners.

Judge Allan Roberts told Tutaki that he had warned him that it wouldn't be easy if he breached home detention and needed to be re-sentenced.

Tutaki was sentenced to six months in jail and disqualified from driving for eight months.

The judge asked that Tutaki be kept apart from other prisoners.

- © Fairfax NZ News