Teen prison rioter sent back to jail

One of the teens responsible for a riot at Rimutaka Prison's youth wing last year has been sent back to jail, but will now have to serve his sentence with adults.

Raniera Wirihana, now 19, was in Kauri block on May 26, 2007, when a prisoner allegedly attacked prison officers with a broomstick , resulting in the wing being locked down.

The prisoners revolted, barricading doorways, smashing windows, walls, televisions and security cameras before climbing on to the prison's roof via a broken vent. Once on the roof, they began smashing anything they could get their hands on and hurling the pieces at officers in the grounds below.

The incident lasted five hours and saw prisoners cause nearly $250,000 in damage before the prison riot squad subdued those involved.

Ten people were jointly charged. Seven pleaded guilty while Wirihana and two others denied the charges and went to trial.

Their first trial in August this year ended with a hung jury. Five days into a retrial Wirihana changed his plea to guilty. The remaining two accused are still awaiting retrial.

In Wellington District Court today lawyers for Wirihana, who has a young child, asked Judge Bruce Davidson to delay sentencing for two weeks in order for a report on his suitability for home detention to be completed.