The daughter of slain Mongrel Mob Barbarians Ōpōtiki president Steven Taiatini has been sentenced for dealing cannabis.
Details of Monica Taiatini’s background were taken into account in court this week, as a judge considered what the appropriate outcome would be.
The 30-year-old’s exposure to gang culture, parental substance abuse and abuse, parental incarceration, family violence and exposure to criminal offending were all considered to have a causal nexus on her own criminal actions.
She was caught up in Operation Highwater, in which the police’s national organised crime group surveilled a network of Mongrel Mob Barbarians in a targeted drug-supply operation.
On 22 October 2024, police carried out more than 30 search warrants and arrested 28 people connected to the East Bay Barbarians.
Police also estimated they restrained assets totalling $800,000.
The operation targeted the supply of methamphetamine, cannabis cultivation and supply, and a planned shooting at a rival gang tangi.
Taiatini was arrested as part of the operation, and faced charges of participating in an organised criminal group, offering to sell cannabis and possession of cannabis for sale.
At her sentencing, Tauranga District Court heard that, after being charged, Taiatini had reportedly been prompted to “rethink her behaviour”, and had – of her own volition – stopped using cannabis and alcohol.
Judge Melinda Mason noted that the death of Taiatini’s father was “another moment in your life that made you take note and stop”.
Police allege Steven Taiatini was fatally struck by a vehicle on St John St, Ōpōtiki, after an altercation on the evening of 9 June 2023. Two people have been charged with his murder.
Steven Taiatini’s wife, Pauline, and two of the couple’s other children are also charged in relation to Operation Highwater, but deny their charges.
‘You wanna buy an elbow?’
According to the summary of facts, on 27 May 2024, Monica Taiatini phoned an associate and asked her whether “you wanna buy an elbow?”, being a pound or 453g of cannabis.
On 7 July 2024, the defendant phoned another associate and asked if he was interested in selling 2.2kg of cannabis for $2600 per pound.
The associate declined, instead offering that Taiatini supply the cannabis herself, and she agreed.
The quantity of cannabis involved across the balance of the offending was about 2.6kg.
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