After he was sentenced yesterday for stabbing Phillip O’Brien, he will now spend at least the next five years in jail.
Lawson, a Mongrel Mob member, was sentenced by Justice Nation in the High Court at Invercargill to nine and a-half years’ jail with a non-parole period of five years for the stabbing on February 16, 2018, as well as possession of an offensive weapon, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard and unlawfully carrying a firearm, all on February 18, 2018.
He had previously pleaded guilty to all charges.
Lawson was on parole from prison when the was involved in the attack.
A GPS tracker he was wearing at the time of the attack put him at both the scene of the stabbing and also near the Invercargill Estuary, where police later discovered the knife used to stab Phillip O’Brien.
Crown prosecutor Sarah McKenzie said it was "a serious concerted street attack".
Two days after the stabbing, police found Lawson sitting in the car in the driveway of a Mangu Kaha member.
When police looked in the vehicle they found a pump-action, sawn-off firearm loaded and actioned, along with six rounds of ammunition for the gun in the foot well of the passenger seat where Lawson was sitting.
Justice Nation said it was believed Lawson was there with another associate to threaten witnesses to the stabbing.
"[It was] at a time of day when members of the public not associated with gangs were likely to have been nearby. In going to that address with the weapon, there was potential for further serious offence."
Lawson, who had 11 previous convictions, had a violent upbringing and was introduced to gangs at a young age. He had been in more than 20 foster homes throughout his childhood. He was now on anti-psychotic drugs for mental illness.
Defence counsel Sonia Vidal said the Mongrel Mob was his whanau.
Justice Nation said Lawson was at an age where he could choose to let the past dictate his future, or he could change it.
"Think about where your involvement with your Mongrel Mob brothers has got you. Not just for you but also for the people who become affected by your offending."
