Jayden Ray Kahi has been sentenced to two years in prison for killing Mewa Singh, a 60-year-old man he wrongly believed was trying to abduct his son from a Christchurch skate park, Stuff has reported. The identity of the 33-year-old was revealed after he chose not to seek a continuation of his name suppression order.
The sentencing, which took place at the High Court in Christchurch on Tuesday, was overseen by Justice Melanie Harland. Proceedings began with a victim impact statement from Singh’s family, read aloud in court. Singh’s son expressed how his father’s death had devastated the family, forcing them to sell their restaurant and return to India to manage their farm. “We are still struggling with the loss of my father. The defendant has turned our lives upside down. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we will always miss my dad,” the statement read.
Mewa Singh and his wife had travelled from India to New Zealand to support their son and welcome the birth of their second grandchild. Tragically, just four months after meeting the newborn, Singh was killed by a single punch from Kahi on April 7 last year.
Crown prosecutor Christina Hallaway described the incident as a "most unfortunate case" and emphasised that Singh’s death could have been avoided. She argued that Kahi’s actions were premeditated, as he had returned to Linwood Park specifically to confront Singh, first pushing him and then delivering the fatal punch. “The Crown submits there is a vigilante undertone to the offending,” Hallaway said, citing that Kahi’s son never indicated he had been harmed by Singh. The Crown initially sought a starting point of five to six years for sentencing but acknowledged mitigating factors, including Kahi’s guilty plea.
Photo: Supplied
Kahi’s lawyer, Anselm Williams, argued that his client was deeply remorseful and had pleaded guilty to manslaughter as soon as the charge was downgraded from murder. Williams highlighted Kahi’s mental health struggles at the time, insisting the attack was neither premeditated nor an act of vigilantism.
Justice Harland set a starting point of five years' imprisonment but noted several mitigating factors, including Kahi's lack of prior convictions, his guilty plea, and his mental health issues. She also reduced the sentence further due to his demonstrated remorse. Kahi had been on bail for one year and four months under a 24-hour curfew, with no breaches during that time.
Singh’s son, Himanshu Keshwer, spoke out about the "senseless" and "unfair" killing of his father. Singh lost his life on the evening of April 9, two days after the attack. Keshwer shared his grief, describing the devastating moment he learned of his father's critical injuries. “When I left for work that day, everything was good. My family was happy, [my father] was playing with my daughter,” Keshwer said. He was informed of the attack by a police officer around 9:30 pm that night. Keshwer described his father as a kind and caring man who would never harm anyone, especially a child. “He was a very good human being. He never took anything seriously and always tried to help people wherever possible.”
On the day of the incident, Kahi had been at the park with his son and, in an attempt to discipline him, drove off when the boy did not follow his instructions. Upon returning, he saw Singh holding his son’s hand near a bus stop and, believing Singh was abducting his son, attacked him. The enraged father confronted Singh, accusing him of trying to abduct his son, and delivered a powerful punch that caused Singh to fall and hit his head on the pavement. Kahi then left the scene, later admitting to his ex-partner and flatmate that he believed he had killed Singh.
Singh was taken to Christchurch Hospital's Intensive Care Unit with a skull fracture and internal bleeding. Despite medical efforts, his injuries were inoperable, and he died after being taken off life support on April 9.
Reflecting on the past year, Keshwer expressed his anger and sorrow. "Someone killed my dad and I couldn’t do anything, and still can’t do anything. It makes me sad, it shouldn’t have happened," he said.
Mewa Singh with his granddaughter/Screengrab of supplied video
Jitender Sahi, from the Sikh Society, remarked on the impact of the tragedy on the community. "We thought New Zealand was a safe country, it’s just a shock," he told Stuff, urging the community to exercise caution and avoid going out alone after dark. "He was just visiting his kids... it’s tragic,” Sahi added, emphasising the need for safety and vigilance within the community.
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