By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A robber has repeatedly used a baton to bash a resident senseless over a rental arrears dispute in a Springvale South boarding house.
Te Huinga Tumai, 47, pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to armed robbery and assaulting a police officer during his arrest.
The victim, a 34-year-old man, had been $650 behind in his rent.
To Tumai’s annoyance, the landlord demanded Tumai and co-residents in the boarding house cover the arrears.
Early on 21 December 2019, an ice-fueled Tumai decided to take the victim’s bank card “by force”, sentencing judge Pardeep Tiwana said.
It would have been a “frightening and distressing experience” for the victim, who was hospitalised with a fractured eye socket and cuts and bruises to his head.
“The fact that you consumed ice and were under pressure to pay rent was no excuse,” Judge Tiwana said.
Tumai entered the sleeping victim’s bedroom, waking him by striking his head with an extendable baton.
The baton blows to the head continued as Tumai put his foot on the victim’s chest. He demanded and stole the victim’s phone and wallet, as well as the PINs for the phone and debit card.
The victim drifted in and out of consciousness during the assault. At one point he was woken by Tumai pouring water on his face.
During a police raid, Tumai was found hiding in a walk-in wardrobe. He elbowed and tried to headbutt a police officer during his arrest.
Police seized the baton as well as boxes of 92 shotgun shells possessed by Tumai without a license.
Tumai was breaching a full family violence intervention order by living at the boarding house.
He was also on a good behaviour bond and a community corrections order at the time.
On 6 August, Judge Tiwana noted former truckie had lost his job in 2015 due to drug use.
His life spiralled into a relationship breakdown, homelessness and crime, including assault, weapon and ice trafficking offences.
On previous CCOs, he had failed to take opportunities for counselling on drug and alcohol abuse and childhood trauma, Judge Tiwana noted.
The New Zealand citizen had reportedly no qualms with being possibly deported to his homeland.
Tumai was jailed for up to four years, including a two-and-a-half-year non-parole period.
He’d served 585 days of his term in pre-sentence detention.
