Two-year prison sentence for a CR man who killed an elderly Indian man who was helping a lost child

Jayden Ray Kahi has been sentenced to two years in prison for the murder of Mew Singh, a 60-year-old man he wrongly believed was trying to kidnap his son from a Christchurch skate park, Stuff reports. The 33-year-old’s identity was revealed after he decided not to seek an extension to a suppression order against his name.

The sentencing, held in the High Court in Christchurch on Tuesday, was overseen by Judge Melanie Harland. The trial began with Singh’s family’s victim impact statement read aloud in court. Singh’s son told how his father’s death devastated the family, forcing them to sell their restaurant and return to India to run their farm. “We are still dealing with the loss of my father. The accused turned our lives upside down. No matter where we go, no matter what we do, we will always miss my father,” the statement said.

Mewa Singh and his wife traveled from India to New Zealand to support their son and welcome the birth of their second grandson. Sadly, just four months after meeting the newborn, Singh was killed by a single blow from Kakha on April 7 last year.

Crown prosecutor Christina Hallaway called the incident “a most unfortunate incident” and said Singh’s death could have been avoided. She argued that Kakha’s actions were deliberate as he returned to Linwood Park specifically to confront Singh, first pushing him and then delivering the fatal blow. “The Crown contends there are vigilante overtones to this crime,” Hallaway said, citing that Kahi’s son never claimed Singh harmed him. The Crown had originally sought a sentencing starting point of five to six years, but accepted mitigating factors, including Kahi’s guilty plea.

Photo: Attached

Kahi’s lawyer, Anselm Williams, argued that his client was deeply remorseful and pleaded guilty to manslaughter once the charge was downgraded from murder. Williams highlighted Kahi’s mental health issues at the time, insisting the attack was neither premeditated nor an act of vigilantism.

Judge Harland set a starting point of five years in prison but noted several mitigating factors, including Kakha’s lack of previous convictions, his guilty plea and mental health issues. She also commuted his sentence further due to his demonstrated remorse. Kahi was held on bail for one year and four months under a 24-hour curfew, during which time there were no violations.

Singh’s son Himanshu Keshwer spoke out about the “senseless” and “unjust” killing of his father. Singh died 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 serious injuries. “When I left for work that day, everything was fine. My family was happy, (my father) was playing with my daughter,” Keshver said. He was informed of the attack by a police officer at 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 person. He never took anything seriously and always tried to help people wherever possible.”

On the day of the incident, Kahi was in the park with his son and, in an attempt to punish him, left when the boy did not follow his instructions. When he returned, he saw Singh holding his son’s hand near a bus stop and, believing that Singh was kidnapping his son, attacked him. The enraged father confronted Singh, accusing him of trying to kidnap his son, and threw a powerful punch, causing Singh to fall and hit his head on the pavement. Kahi then left the scene, later admitting to his former 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 the efforts of doctors, his injuries were inoperable and he died on April 9 after life support was turned off.

Reflecting on the past year, Keshver expressed his anger and sadness. “Someone killed my father, and I couldn’t do anything and still can’t. I’m sad, this shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

Meva Singh with her granddaughter/screenshot of the provided video

Jitender Sahi of the Sikh Society noted the impact of the tragedy on society. “We thought New Zealand was a safe country, this is just a shock,” he told Stuff, urging the community to exercise caution and not go out alone after dark. “He was just visiting his children… it’s tragic,” Sahi added, emphasizing the need for safety and vigilance in the community.