The New Zealand gang member who stabbed a Tongan seasonal worker to death in central Blenheim was sentenced to seven years in jail at the High Court in Blenheim on Thursday.
Auckland man George Junior Pikaahu, 34, plunged a 24-centimetre knife into 23-year-old Lynch who was trying to defend a wounded friend during a large brawl in central Blenheim in the early hours of June 20, 2021.
The knife pierced Lynch’s heart and he died at the scene, reported the Stuff.
The fatal incident happened after an altercation between local RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) workers and members of the Rebels gang from outside Marlborough.
Another gang member Peter Uelese was sentenced to six months community detention, 100 hours community work, and 12 months supervision for the charge of assault with intent to injure.
Lynch was out celebrating a friend’s birthday when the fight broke out.
Lynch arrived in New Zealand from Tonga as a Recognised Seasonal Employer worker. He worked for Hortus farm.
His body was returned to Tonga on a repatriation flight after his relatives and friends in Auckland held prayer services in front of his coffin.
Lynch, one of seven children, had been in New Zealand since 2019 working in the horticulture and viticulture industries. He hadn’t been able to return home between seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.
