Date finally set for appeal against convictions and sentences of Mama Hooch rapist brothers Danny and Roberto Jaz

Mama Hooch rapist brothers Danny and Roberto Jaz will return to court in October when their appeal against some of their convictions and sentences is heard in Christchurch.

Sydney-born siblings Danny Jaz (40) and Roberto Jaz (38) were sentenced to prison in August 2023 after being found guilty on a total of 69 charges, including rape, sexual abuse, indecent touching, drugging, assault, taking intimate photographs of women without their knowledge or consent and trafficking in illegal drugs.

The brothers were described in court as notorious robbers who deliberately drugged and sexually abused female customers and employees of their family bar in Christchurch.

Danny Jaz was sentenced to 16½ years in prison and his brother to 17 years.

Both were ordered to serve 50 percent of their total sentence before they can be released on parole.

Both are appealing their convictions and sentences.

The court concluded that Roberto Jaz did not accept his convictions and did not believe he had done anything wrong.

None of the brothers showed any remorse at any point during the proceedings.

The Herald has confirmed that appeals against both men will take place in the High Court in Christchurch in October.

What appeals to her?

According to the Herald, Danny and Roberto Jaz are appealing against the convictions relating to the charges they were found guilty of following a lengthy trial in the District Court of Judge Paul Mabey KC.

Danny Jaz pleaded guilty to 21 counts and Roberto Jaz to one count – and Judge Mabey found them guilty of the remaining counts on which they were convicted.

Last month, police confirmed they had received three more complaints “related to previous incidents at Mama Hooch” since the brothers were arrested.

“Police do not wish to comment on the details of the complaints at this time, but we can confirm that police investigations are ongoing,” a spokesman said.

The Jaz brothers’ appeals before the Supreme Court, as well as their defence teams during the District Court proceedings, are funded by legal aid.

READ MORE ABOUT OPERATION SINATRA – EXPOSED THE MAMA HOOCH ADMINISTRATORS

The Herald reported last year that both perpetrators were granted government funding for two separate legal teams to represent them in court and defend themselves against the numerous charges brought against them.

The case was in court for five years, during which time they appeared at various pretrial hearings and appealed several district court rulings to higher courts, including decisions to suppress names.

Legal aid is funded by the Ministry of Justice and can be granted to defendants who need a lawyer but cannot afford one.

To be eligible for legal aid in criminal proceedings, the defendant must be accused of a criminal offence punishable by a prison sentence of six months or more.

Legal aid is also granted in appeal proceedings.

Both Jaz brothers have applied for and received legal aid, thereby qualifying under the guidelines for the service.

Australian-born brothers will not be deported after their release

Last month it was also announced that the men would not be deported to Australia after their release from prison.

It was assumed that, given the fact that they were born overseas – and this was what the victims hoped – they would not be granted permission to remain in New Zealand if they were granted parole or released on their statutory release date.

However, New Zealand’s immigration authority Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said it could not deport them because of the length of time they have already lived in the country.

“Neither Danny nor Roberto Jaz face deportation as resident visa holders due to the length of time they have lived in New Zealand,” INZ immigration officer Margaret Cantlon told RNZ last month.

“According to their New Zealand police records, Danny and Roberto’s first crimes occurred in 2015, more than 10 years after they were first granted residency.”

New Zealand’s deportation law can be used to deport criminal migrants, but only if the crimes are committed within two, five or ten years of being granted leave to remain – the period varies depending on the severity of the crime.

In the case of the Jaz brothers – whose crimes fall into the most serious category of 10-year offenses – their crimes occurred more than a decade after they arrived in prison.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter covering national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years, with a particular focus on family violence, child abuse, sexual violence, murder, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, broadcast monthly on nzherald.co.nz