Daytona Thompson Sentenced for Manslaughter, Sparks Calls for Tougher "Coward Punch" Laws

Daytona Thompson’s four-year sentence for the killing of Daniel Nganeko has sparked outrage and a renewed push to toughen New  Zealand’s coward‑punch laws. The 22‑year‑old had already admitted manslaughter after punching the Taranaki videographer outside the Tukapa Rugby Club in July, causing him to fall and fracture his skull.

On Tuesday Judge Paul Radich handed down a four‑year and two‑month sentence after taking a seven‑year starting point and then giving a 25 per cent discount for Thompson’s guilty plea, relative youth and personal circumstances. The judge said the blow was unprovoked, that Thompson used considerable force and that filming the victim while mocking him was a cruel aggravating factor.

Family and more than a hundred supporters packed the New Plymouth courthouse and spilled onto the steps outside. Many were stunned when Daniel’s father Te Uraura Nganeko announced the sentence, saying he only heard the judge talk about discounts and mitigation. Friends and relatives described the punishment as a “joke” and a “slap in the face” for a life lost.

Daniel’s mother told the court that Thompson was a “coward and a killer” and condemned him for turning her son’s final breaths into a “trophy” video. Thompson stood over the unconscious man, called him a racial slur and boasted “I just knocked him the f*** out”.

Crown prosecutors had argued for a starting point of nine to ten years because the punch was a blow to the head and Thompson filmed his victim. Judge Radich chose seven years as a starting point and then applied credits, noting that current sentencing rules limit what judges can impose. Thompson could be released on parole after about 16 months.

Outside the court, members of the Coward Punch Movement held signs calling for legislation to match the crime.Daniel’s family set up the movement after his death, and say the justice system fails victims when guilty pleas trigger automatic sentence reductions.

They pointed out that Thompson’s prior violent offending could not be taken into account because he had been discharged without conviction, and they vowed to lobby MPs to change the Sentencing Act.

Supporters stressed that the government’s proposed one‑punch offence, announced by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith in June, only goes part‑way; it carries an eight‑year maximum where there is reckless disregard and up to life when grievous bodily harm is intended.

With New Zealand grappling with a spate of one‑punch deaths, law‑and‑order advocates want Parliament to revisit how much credit should be given for guilty pleas and whether filming a victim should attract harsher penalties.

Thompson’s name may fade, but for Daniel’s family say the campaign is just beginning. They’re urging voters to ask candidates where they stand on tougher sentencing for coward punches.