Dakota Tihirua Ruka-Pohe sentenced for manslaughter over stabbing death of Robert Watene

A woman forced to watch her partner and father of their three children die after he was fatally stabbed by a neighbour he had just given a lift has delivered a harrowing, sorrow-filled victim impact statement in a Brisbane court.

Robert Watene, 33, was fatally stabbed in the neck at Loganlea in Logan, south of Brisbane by neighbour Dakota Tihirua Ruka-Pohe, 27, in November 2018. Ruka-Pohe pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a Brisbane court on Thursday. Picture: Supplied

A woman forced to watch “the love of her life” die after he was brutally stabbed by someone he had just given a lift has delivered a harrowing, sorrow-filled victim impact statement in a Brisbane court.

Robert Watene, 33, was fatally stabbed in the neck at Loganlea in Logan, south of Brisbane, by “grossly (mentally) unwell” neighbour Dakota Tihirua Ruka-Pohe, 27, after they had returned together in an Uber from a social gathering in November 2018.

The “horror movie” played out in front of Mr Watene’s long-term partner, Rachel Maihi, who took to the stand at Ruka-Pohe’s sentencing for manslaughter to detail the family’s devastation in a victim impact statement.

“In the blink of an eye my life was destroyed, flipped upside down and thrown to the wolves,” she said through tears.

“My world and heart were shattered into a trillion pieces.

“The love of my life, the amazing father of our three babies had been stabbed in the neck for nothing, for being a good person.”

Father-of-three, Robert Watene, 33, pictured with his partner, Rachel Maihi. Picture: Supplied

As her partner collapsed after being stabbed Ms Maihi began CPR while using her dress to try and staunch the bleeding.

Ms Maihi detailed having to repeatedly scoop the vomit out of Mr Watene’s airway to prevent him from choking before paramedics arrived.

“All the while the man that did this to us was still there pacing back and forth behind us, yelling, screaming, laughing and saying the most horrible things any human can say,” she said.

Since then Ms Maihi has had three minor strokes and was herself “lucky to be alive”.

“The trauma from that night has changed me dramatically … I’m always worried that if I upset someone or make them mad, they might kill me with one movement because I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes,” she said.

“I hate the man that chose to do this to us, I hate him with a passion.”

Following the killing Ms Maihi has had to move the family back to New Zealand and is unable to provide the same life for their children who “oozed love” for Mr Watene.

“So many nights, too many to remember, I’ve had to hold our babies while they break down crying … why did this happen to us mum?”

She said Mr Watene was a “truly amazing human being.”

“He was always so humble, so positive, so happy, uplifting, kind, caring, helpful and just so, so nice,” she said.

Ruka-Pohe was initially charged with murder but this was downgraded to manslaughter after a finding he had diminished responsibility due to mental illness.

Robert Watene, 33, and Rachel Maihi. Picture: Supplied

Ruka-Pohe, who pleaded guilty, was being sentenced not on the basis that he had an intent to kill but that he at least intended to cause grievous bodily harm, Brisbane’s Supreme Court heard Thursday.

At the time of the attack Ruka-Pohe was experiencing a relapse of chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was carrying knives to “protect” himself from the “telepathy people”.

When police were arresting him a somewhat intoxicated Ruka-Pohe spat in their faces.

The court heard he had an underlying intellectual disability rendering an IQ of just 67.

In the lead-up to the killing he had expressed concerns to his treatment team about the thoughts in his head.

The court heard his treatment was suboptimal but this was in part caused by his noncompliance with medication.

As a New Zealand citizen who migrated to Australia when he was four, Ruka-Pohe could face deportation on release from prison.

Justice Elizabeth Wilson said Mr Watene had been ripped apart from his family “in the most violent of ways”.

“He was a loving parent, partner and father,” she said.

Ruka-Pohe was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the four years and seven months since he was taken into custody declared as time already served.

His parole eligibility date was set as of Thursday.

Outside court Ms Maihi said the sentence was “disappointing”.