‘Pitiless’ ringleader sentenced for Monnies bashing

The ringleader of a six-on-one bashing where a tourist was punched, stomped and photographed naked has been sentenced.

THE ringleader of a disturbing Christmas Eve bashing which left a tourist bleeding, naked and unconscious in Darwin’s nightclubbing district has been condemned as “cruel and pitiless”.

Maea Tongamoa, 24, appeared in Darwin Supreme Court to plead guilty for his role in an assault where a man was kicked, stomped, punched and slapped more than 50 times in just seven minutes.

The court heard Tongamoa was the “ringleader” of the six-on-one bashing after the group left Monsoons, on Mitchell St, at 3.15am.

The court heard the group, including four men and two women, turned on the tourist, who was repeatedly punched in the head until he fell to the ground. In an alcohol-fuelled frenzy his attackers swarmed him with more hits and kicks to the head as he curled into the foetal position before losing consciousness.

maea tongamoa

Tongamoa chased off a bystander who tried to stop the assault, before punching, and stomping his defenceless victim. He was then dragged along the road to the kerb, where Tongamoa stood over his motionless body and choked him before a final punch.

“A female co-offender then pulled off the victim’s shorts and underwear to expose his genitals,” Chief Justice Michael Grant said.

As bystanders began to perform first aid Tongamoa “jumped into the air and stomped on the victim’s head as it was laying against the concrete curbing”.

The assault only ended when Tongamoa was dragged off by his co-offenders.

He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, and was later diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury and anxiety.

“The attack you and your co-offenders made on this man was savage, prolonged and brutal and has had drastic consequences for him.” Justice Grant told the 24-year-old.

“It was cruel and pitiless.”

On Monday Tongamoa appeared before Justice Grant to plead guilty to causing serious harm with the actual and subjective intention of doing so.

Tongamoa was sentenced to four years, with a two year non parole period.

Palmerston Magpies Women’s Premier League player Tayarrah Morris, 25, was allegedly involved in the Christmas eve bashing on Darwin's Mitchell St.

One of his co-accused, Karl Gruber, 20, also pleaded guilty to unlawfully causing serious harm in his court hearing on October 14.

His alleged co-accused are due to appear in the Supreme Court, with Duol Gile-Lul’s next appearance due on January 27, Kian Wise on February 19 and Tongamoa’s girlfriend, Tayarrah Morris on March 22.

The court was not told if all defendants had entered a plea.

Ashleigh Epiha was sentenced in Darwin Local Court on February 9 after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, when she was given a two month suspended sentence.

Duol Gile-Lul was charged after allegedly beating a man unconscious Picture: Facebook