A prisoner who took part in a fatal assault inside the country’s maximum security prison has had four years added to his prison sentence.

Lopeti Telefoni was sentenced for the manslaughter of Blake Lee at the High Court in Auckland on Friday, his 22nd birthday.

CCTV video of the March 2020 attack, inside an exercise yard, showed Telefoni drop Lee with a single punch before another prisoner, Siuaki Lisiate, repeatedly stomped on Lee’s head and stabbed him with a shank.

Siuaki Lisiate in the dock at the High Court in Auckland where he pleaded guilty to murdering fellow inmate Blake Lee.

Lisiate, who is already serving a sentence of preventive detention for murder, is due to be sentenced next week.

The video of the attack formed the centrepeice of the Crown’s case against Telefoni and two other prisoners, Riki Wiremu Ngamoki and Paul Simon Tuliloa.

After punching Lee, Telefoni, Ngamoki and Tuliloa can be seen on the video going after Lee’s friend, Cesar Su’a, while Lisiate repeatedly stabbed and stomped on Lee as he lay unconscious on the ground.

Justice Simon Moore said he had to review that video dozens of times in the lead-up to trial, at trial and in preparation for sentencing.

“On any analysis it is graphic and deeply distressing. After it was played at trial, it was necessary to take a break for some of the jurors to compose themselves.”

Justice Simon Moore said Telefoni attacked Blake Lee to the head in a planned attack.

He said Telefoni’s punch was planned. The CCTV video showed Lisiate and Telefoni changing positions, shortly before Telefoni used the element of surprise and struck Lee in the head.

“The delivery of your first punch had all the hallmarks of an ambush.”

Telefoni’s lawyer Emma Priest asked Justice Moore to take into account her client’s youth.

She said Telefoni was genuinely sorry for what he had done and had been willing to take part in restorative justice. She said he was deeply ashamed and had engaged with a prison psychologist as an early step in his rehabilitation.

The internal exercise yard inside Paremoremo prison in Auckland where Siuaki Lisiate stabbed fellow inmate Blake Lee to death in March 2020.

In sentencing, Justice Moore acknowledged Blake Lee’s whānau, who were present by video link.

The judge gave a summary of statements made by Lee’s whanau. He said Lee’s mother acknowledged her son was “not perfect” but his loss had left a hole that could never be filled.

Lee’s partner described him as a loving man who was turning his life around.

“He was a young man who had his life ahead of him and it was a life that you contributed to cutting far too short.”

Justice Moore took into account Telefoni’s youth and his genuine remorse. He also took time off Telefoni’s sentence for his upbringing that was marred by violence and poverty.

Riki Wiremu Ngamoki and Paul Simon Tuliloa have denied murdering fellow inmate Blake Lee in an exercise yard of Paremoremo prison. (Composite image).

Ngamoki and SImon were sentenced in October and had one year and 10 months and one year and 11 months added to their sentences respectively.

Telefoni’s criminal history

Telefoni was 19 years old when he was released from Mt Eden Prison in May 2019, having served a seven-month sentence for charges of assault with a weapon, drink driving, breaching home detention and unlawfully being in a building.

His release conditions required him to report to probation, but Telefoni never showed.

A month later, Telefoni robbed three liquor shops on Auckland’s North Shore.

During one of the robberies, a shop owner approached Telefoni. Telefoni punched him in the head three times.

In February 2020, Telefoni was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, which was reduced to three years and two months following an appeal.

He was serving this sentence when he attacked Lee.

Court documents seen by Stuff show Telefoni was brought up in poverty and saw violence as a child. He was often sent to school on an empty stomach and would steal lunch from his classmates.

He became an alcoholic in his early teens.

In 2019 he was assessed as having a high risk of reoffending. Report writers described him as having a sense of entitlement and lack of insight.