Bailey Junior Kurariki

In 2001 Bailey Junior Kurariki (born May 15, 1989) was involved in the murder of pizza delivery man Michael Choy in Papakura, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. Kurariki was later convicted of manslaughter. He was 12 years and 252 days old the day Choy was killed, making him the youngest person convicted of killing in New Zealand history.[1]

On the 12th of September 2001, a group of teenagers attacked pizza delivery man Michael Choy with a baseball bat and robbed him of cash and the pizzas he was delivering. The attack was planned by Whatarangi Rawiri and carried out on her 17th birthday, and Alexander Tokorua Peihopa led the group in attacking Choy with a baseball bat. The pair were later convicted for murder, and given life sentences.

At the time of Choy's death Kurariki was in the custody of Child, Youth and Family rather than his mother[8] but had absconded; he had been in trouble since the age of five and had not been to school for more than a year.[9]

In the days following the death of Choy, Kurariki was interviewed by police and reportedly confessed to the killings. However, police did not follow the correct procedures in conducting an interview with an alleged offender under 17, making the results of the interview inadmissible.[10]

Choy's stepfather Ken Croskery became active in the Sensible Sentencing Trust, a lobby group campaigning for longer sentences. After his death, 10 years later, his family claim he died of a broken heart.[11]

Kurariki reportedly was "born-again" while in prison,[12] and was released on parole on May 5, 2008[13] but has been in trouble with the courts since and has connections to the Killer Beez gang.[14][15][16] There has also been contention about the nature of evidence needed to recall him to jail for breaching parole[17]

In 2011 Kurariki was convicted for assault and domestic violence charges and sentenced to 14 months in prison,[18] during one hearing he declared himself to be "just an innocent black man".[19][20]