Murupara has become a town bedevilled by violent behaviour, Justice John Priestly said during the sentencing of five Mongrel Mob members and affiliates charged after the murder of Kaine Lewis.
In the three years before the 17-year-old died in a gang clash there had been murders, arsons, violence, attacks on houses and vehicles used as weapons in the former timber town now plagued by high unemployment.
"The curse of Murupara is the presence of the Tribesmen and Mongrel Mob gangs," the judge said.
He said the community was rooted in gang confrontations, heavy teenage drinking and drug taking and urged social agencies, parents and schools to work together to address this and curtail gang activity.
"There is something seriously amiss when children want to give the gangs their unswerving loyalty."
The first trial into Lewis' death was aborted after one of the defence counsels became ill.
Trouble had been brewing between the two gangs in the weeks leading up to the teenager's death from blows to the back of his head.
The jury heard the night Lewis died he had been visiting from nearby Kaingaroa and was wearing yellow, the Tribesman's colour.
A confrontation with Mongrel Mob members escalated and when Lewis became separated from his group he was set on by three men.
He died in an ambulance en route to Rotorua Hospital.
Norton Taoho, 19, was jailed for life Lewis' murder with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.
Taoho pleaded guilty to the charge before the commencement of the first trial in July.
Hemi Winitana, 19, and Joshua Paul Leslie-Whitu, 18, will both serve at least four years in jail before being eligible to be considered for parole.
Neville Duff, 33, was sentenced to two years and 10 months for participating in an organised criminal group and Dave Te Wharerangi Rewi, 25, was jailed for two-and-a-half years on the same charge.
NZN