Tongia and Naquita Heaki: Parents sentenced for horror Hurstville attack

A dentist has told of her ongoing mental torment after being subjected to a horrifically violent random attack which left her in hospital for a week.

A married couple from Sydney’s south bashed and threatened to kill an innocent woman with a knife after smoking ice.

The victim was out enjoying a Sunday morning walk in April 2020 when she was set upon by the two offenders who came charging out of their house, where they lived with their three children, on Barnards Ave in Hurstville.

Tongia Heaki, 38, and wife Naquita Heaki, 32, fronted the NSW District court on Friday (July 2) to be sentenced for the attack, which resulted in the victim suffering severe physical and psychological injuries including broken teeth and ribs.

Naquita Heaki leaving court on Friday after being sentenced. Picture: Damian Shaw

The court heard the couple had spent a night out at a friend’s place and consumed illegal drugs including meth and marijuana.

When they arrived home, the agreed facts stated they became increasingly paranoid and manic, and were convinced someone had hurt their friend.

The court heard they were both in a “drug-induced psychosis” and believed there was a dead body inside their car.

The victim – a female dentist – happened to be walking past their house that morning about 10am and she was violently attacked by Tongia, who chased her down the footpath thinking in his delusion she had killed their friend.

Tongia subjected the woman to an appalling assault for about 10 minutes which included his punching her in the face, smashing her head against a brick wall and parked car, and holding a knife against her while warning “I’m going to assassinate you”.

Naquita Heaki (right) with her lawyer (left). Picture: Damian Shaw

Co-offender Naquita yelled “kill her, do it” during the attack after fetching the knife and a hammer from inside their home which she handed to Tongia.

Naquita also filmed part of the attack on her phone.

The attack only ended when police arrived.

Judge Phillip Mahony labelled the attack a “prolonged and ferocious attack” on an innocent woman.

“This was a terrifying ordeal for her during which time she thought she was going to die,” he said.

“The offender himself categorised it as a coward act.”

The court heard the pair told police they had never tried meth before, and Naquita thought she was simply having a joint at a friend’s place not knowing it was laced with ice.

The couple were sentenced in the NSW District Court.

Tongia was sentenced to a jail term of four years and six months with a non-parole period of two years and six months. With time already served he will be eligible for release in October 2022.

His wife Naquita was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for two years and four months to be served in the community, as part of an intensive correction order.

Judge Mahony found that “her role in the offending and moral culpability is significantly less than the co-offender”.

The victim spent a week in hospital following the attack and later told a court of the severe impacts it had on her life.

“It has been over one year since I was attacked, since then my life has changed significantly. I have been living in a terror that does not end,” she said.

The dentist said her teeth, which she was once proud of, can no longer bite through a sandwich or an apple after having her face violently scraped on the concrete pavement.

“I was an independent woman who never relied on anyone for nothing. (Now) I don’t feel safe anymore. I am plagued by anxiety,” she said.

“Each day is a fight and it is exhausting.”

The offenders moved from New Zealand to Australia in 2018 with their children to make a “fresh start”, a court heard.

However, growing financial pressures including Tongia losing his job during the height of the Covid pandemic and struggles with depression resulted in the pair turning to drugs.

The couple both pleaded guilty to reckless grievous bodily harm in company and destroy/damage property.