Editorial: An offender we respect

OPINION: It's amazing what people will say to save their skins.

Or have their lawyer say, as the case may be.

The Waikato Times employs one reporter to spend virtually his whole 40-hour week in the region's courtrooms, recording the cases that have had the most impact on this area or are the most harrowing or intriguing. Our man sees a lot of regular flotsam and jetsam go through the court system. A lot of the faces are the same; many of the tales are identical.

Whether those appearing admit their guilt, or lose after a trial, there is one thing you can almost guarantee come sentencing: They regret their actions. It's a standard line as they, or more likely their legal representative, try to barter with the judge to get a reduced sentence. Everyone's sorry, even if they did not front for a restorative meeting with their victims or actually fought the charges and lost.

Often judges reduce sentences for cases where they believe remorse has been shown, or they outright tell those in the dock they do not believe them. Judges, court staff and even court reporters are aware of this pre-sentencing dance and accept it as an occupational hazard. It is rare to see cases of genuine remorse, where someone has gone above and beyond the call to make it up to a victim.

Clearly there are few women like Tara Tuhakaraina. She was the owner of a pack of pigdogs that savaged neighbour Maggie Christensen near Tokoroa in early August.

It was an attack that shocked the nation. Mrs Christensen has spent 25 hours in surgery in the wake of the attacks, and has more to come. She will be permanently scarred, probably mentally as well as physically, by the attack.

On Friday the owner of the dogs, Tuhakaraina, was sentenced for admitting eight charges of being the owner of dangerous dogs.

She avoided a jail term, instead being sentenced to three months' home detention, 200 hours community work and ordered to pay $2000 in reparation.

Those are the facts, but what the court heard was an all too rare story – about someone who realised they made a bad mistake and went to extraordinary lengths to fix it. Tuhakaraina visited Mrs Christensen in hospital the day after the attack, she later worked on the family's farm to help out while the victim recovered. She has sold personal items to raise money to pay reparation, and she has arranged to move back in with her mother to serve home detention.

Tuhakaraina has not wanted to front the meda, mainly because of the over-aggressive attitude of television station staff outside courtrooms. But she is a great example of how our society would be a better place if people owned up to their mistakes. Tuhakaraina is no heroine; anyone who has so many dogs unlicensed and lets them get out of control is too much of a menace for that. But we should respect the way she has handled her adversity. It is unlikely we will see her repeat her error. How often can we say that about someone going through the court system?

- © Fairfax NZ News