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Offender Databases Laurie Lesa

Laurie Faaleage Lesa

Alias

.

Offences

Murder of Harry Hitchens in Mangere, Auckland in June 2007
Also robbed Mr Hitchens and his companion

Victims

Harry Hitchens

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1976

Current Location

At large

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to a "life" sentence in April 1998
Released on parole July 2008

Background
Waikato Times from 8th April 1998
The man accused of killing 54-year-old Auckland drainlayer Harry Hitchens has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in jail. Laurie Faaleage Lesa, a 22-year-old spray painter, of Otara, South Auckland, was also found guilty by a jury in the High Court at Auckland last night on two counts of aggravated robbery. He had denied punching, kicking and stomping Mr Hitchens to death outside a Mangere takeaway bar in June last year and also denied robbing the dying man and his companion.

The jury deliberated for almost 10 hours before reaching the guilty verdicts. Mr Hitchens' youngest son, Dion, 27, said the family was relieved at the verdict but did not know whether to be happy or to cry. "It's been a long week. Sitting listening to the details of exactly what happened was hard. It's the right verdict, it's justice as we know it in this society." Lesa received six-year jail sentences on each aggravated robbery charge, to be served concurrently with the life sentence.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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