Te Waiariki Grace Stabs Mongrel Mob Partner in Self-Defense During Violent Fight

A 25-year-old woman, Te Waiariki Te Uaahiahi Grace, has been sentenced to 10 months of home detention for the manslaughter of her partner, Te Reo Wickliffe-Heta, a 24-year-old Mongrel Mob gang member. The tragic incident occurred on December 29, 2023, during a violent altercation at Grace's home in Hamilton, New Zealand.

According to court documents, the evening began with a birthday celebration at Grace’s home, where she and Wickliffe-Heta were present. However, the celebration quickly turned to chaos as the couple began arguing and pushing each other. Grace decided to leave and was picked up by relatives. Less than 20 minutes later, Wickliffe-Heta arrived at Grace’s house in a highly agitated state, banging on the back door so loudly that Grace eventually opened it out of concern he might break a window.

The confrontation escalated rapidly. Grace messaged a relative on social media to alert them of Wickliffe-Heta’s arrival, and he entered the house, dragging Grace from a table and throwing her to the ground. As she yelled for help, Wickliffe-Heta began hitting her, and Grace retaliated by hitting him back. The violence continued, with Wickliffe-Heta hitting her with a metal chair and attempting to strangle her. Grace managed to escape by squeezing his testicles, but Wickliffe-Heta grabbed her leg and dragged her to the front doorstep.

Grace then ran inside and armed herself with two large kitchen knives. She and Wickliffe-Heta continued to argue, and during the scuffle, Grace stabbed him once in the chest with one of the knives, piercing his heart and liver and causing massive internal bleeding. Wickliffe-Heta fled outside and was chased by Grace and her relatives. He eventually fell over a fence and became unconscious. He was later found by a member of the public, having died shortly before.

Grace and her relatives returned to the house and placed the knives under the front passenger seat of their car. They were later stopped by police, who found one of the knives with blood on it. Officers noticed that Grace had facial bruising and was uncomfortable walking, which she later attributed to the violent altercation.

The Crown solicitor, Jacinda Hamilton, acknowledged that Wickliffe-Heta was the aggressor that night and that Grace had the opportunity to remove herself from the situation twice before the fatal stabbing. However, Justice Powell noted that Grace had suffered a brain injury two months prior to the incident, which may have affected her normal responses and judgment.

Grace’s defense counsel, Gerard Walsh, argued that the stabbing was an act of self-defense, as Wickliffe-Heta had shown persistent aggression throughout the scuffle. Walsh emphasized that Grace had no criminal history and had pleaded guilty, which should be considered in her sentencing. He also highlighted that Grace had spent 10 months on electronically-monitored bail and had been assessed as a low risk of reoffending.

Justice Powell accepted the expert report on Grace’s brain injury and acknowledged the devastating loss suffered by Wickliffe-Heta’s family, who had not expressed any remorse from Grace. However, given the circumstances and Grace’s lack of criminal history, he agreed to reduce the original 20-month jail sentence to 10 months of home detention.

The relationship between Grace and Wickliffe-Heta was described as volatile, with arguments and physical assaults becoming more frequent over the years. At the time of his death, Wickliffe-Heta was on bail for an attempted strangulation charge against Grace. The court also noted that Grace’s father had tried to get her to move to Whakatāne to escape the toxic environment.

The tragic incident has sparked a broader conversation about domestic violence and the challenges faced by individuals in abusive relationships. While Grace was found guilty of manslaughter, the court recognized that she acted in self-defense and was not solely responsible for the escalation of the violence.