Two brothers who drink spiked and sexually attacked women at the Mama Hooch bar in Christchurch have been jailed.
Convicted rapists Danny Jaz, 40, and Roberto Jaz, 38 were given sentences of 16-and-a-half years and 17 years respectively at the District Court in Christchurch today.
They both have a minimum non-parole period of half their sentence.
Upon being sentenced there was clapping from the public gallery.
The pair had been convicted on 69 of the charges they faced at a six-week trial earlier this year. They then lost their name suppression and had their identities revealed in May.
The brothers used their management positions at Mama Hooch to prey on young women, targeting both patrons and waitresses by putting drugs into their drinks.
It was proved they had drugged 17 women between 2015 and 2018, and sexually assaulted the same number.
Judge Paul Mabey KC reached guilty verdicts on some of the most serious charges including disabling, stupefying, indecent assault, sexual violation and rape. They were found not guilty on some other charges.
Convicted rapists Danny Jaz and Roberto Jaz learnt their fate at the District Court in Christchurch today. (Source: 1News)
'Anxious, fearful and flashbacks'
In court today, Judge Mabey said the brothers had severely damaged all their victims by their predatory and heartless offending, which was driven by arrogance, misguided self-belief and a complete lack of respect.
"Young women enjoying life are now, even after so many years, anxious, fearful and having flashbacks," he said.
"Some have even had to leave Christchurch. A consistenet theme was their darkness, their shame, their embarrassment and an overwhelming self blame. They had a fear of not being believed by others - and some of them weren’t - they talk about the loss of autonomy over their own bodies, they talk of a loss of confidence."
He said the brothers had not expressed remorse or empathy.
"But you are not men of good character, you are sexual predators," Judge Mabey said.
Bar Manager
Danny Jaz was the bar manager at Mama Hooch between 2015 and 2018, tasked with the care of patrons and staff. It was proved he had drugged several women during that time, often bringing them to the toilets at the bar ahead of sexual assaults.
He either admitted or was found guilty of 16 indecent assaults and seven sexual violations, subjecting his victims to groping, slapping, biting, kissing, and serious sexual assaults. He was also found guilty of rape.
Read more: Mama Hooch survivor to predator: 'You stole my right to feel safe'
Roberto Jaz, would volunteer behind the bar and help his brother to pour drinks after finishing work for the night. He was a chef at the family’s Italian restaurant, Venuti, a few doors down. At times, he lured women from the bar to the restaurant after hours, ahead of sexual assaults.
It was proved he had drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women, and also committed one rape, with victims saying they blacked out during the assaults.
Survivors of the brothers’ abuse shared their stories at the trial, with some women saying they felt like they were “under water” and unable to control their bodies, after consuming drinks or powder given to them.
The pair’s defence was that the women had inflicted the blackouts on themselves by taking drugs or drinking too much alcohol, and that the sexual interactions either didn’t happen or were consensual.
Airport arrest
Roberto Jaz was arrested at Christchurch Airport while trying to fly to Sydney in August 2018 a day after police put out a public media request asking if anyone had a story of drink spiking from Mama Hooch.
In September that year, police raided his home, finding drugs in an old CD case, and charging him with multiple offences.
Police seized both men’s phones during the investigation and uncovered a Whatsapp group chat, revealing messages which showed the brothers had specifically targeted staff - women who either worked for them, or wanted to work for them.
In one exchange, referring to drink spiking, Roberto Jaz said he had “roofied” a woman’s drink, to which a friend responded: “Did you buy her a Roofiecolada?”.
In another, he asked a friend if there were any women at a party. When told they were “inactive”, he replied with one word: “rape”.
The messages included screenshots from the CCTV at Mama Hooch, showing the brothers had monitored patrons through the security cameras.
Roberto Jaz’s phone also included a collection of sex videos in a hidden folder, some of unknown women who police have never been able to identify.
Neither man has apologised to the women and they did not look at the victims watching from the courtroom’s public gallery in April when they were found guilty of their crimes.
They showed no emotion throughout the sentencing and as they were led out of the courtroom one of the victims' family members shouted at them, as others hugged and cried.
Their brother Davide Jaz was there to support them. The chef at the Mama Hooch bar was dragged into the scandal last month after it was revealed he had been a part of a Whatsapp group chat with his brothers.
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