Jailed 11 years for role in Christchurch murder

The assailants, including Cyle Jetson from Christchurch, looted his belongings, taking jewelry and electronic devices to settle a debt owed to someone else.

Jetson has now been sentenced to jail for his involvement in the attack, where the 65-year-old victim was viciously beaten, rendered unconscious, and then transported to a car park with his hands and feet bound with tape. Tragically, Raviola passed away in the hospital a few days later.

The High Court in Christchurch heard during the sentencing how Jetson was utilized as the “muscle” to deliver blows that incapacitated Raviola during the premeditated group assault in March 2017.

A Calculated Scheme

According to the statement of facts, one of the women in the group was in a relationship with Raviola and had a debt to settle.

Thus, a plan was devised to steal the pensioner’s car to repay the debt.

Jetson, who was only 20 at the time, joined three others at a Bromley residence to discuss the robbery.

Raviola was lured to the home that evening and was ambushed by the group.

While some of the assailants were hiding in bedrooms, Raviola was assaulted by a couple of them, receiving punches to the head and kicks to the stomach.

Hearing the commotion, Jetson entered the room where Raviola lay on the floor and delivered punches and kicks, ultimately knocking him out.

After incapacitating the victim, the group taped his hands and feet with masking tape, transported him to a car, and left him in a Sumner car park.

They then returned to Raviola’s home, using a key taken from him to enter and steal jewelry and electronic devices.

Raviola was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where he remained in a coma with severe head injuries and a swollen brain. He underwent multiple surgeries but sadly passed away three days later.

Jetson initially confessed to his involvement in the assault but later recanted, admitting only to assisting in removing the victim from the property and abandoning him in Sumner.

In 2020, Jetson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 11 years for Raviola’s murder.

However, Jetson appealed his conviction and eventually pleaded guilty just before a retrial.

This week, the now 28-year-old was re-sentenced to 11 years in prison, with a non-parole period of six years.

‘The Enforcer’

During the sentencing, Justice Jonathan Eaton described Jetson as the “muscle” in the murder, enlisted to inflict violence on the victim alongside another male.

Jetson played a crucial role in rendering the victim defenseless by knocking him out.

Crown prosecutor Deirdre Elsmore emphasized the callousness involved in discarding the victim’s body and burglarizing his home.

Elsmore acknowledged the complexity of the case and Jetson’s young age at the time of the offense, considering his cognitive challenges.

While Jetson was immature at 20, the attack was premeditated, and he exhibited full awareness of its consequences, she stated.

Elsmore noted Jetson’s lack of remorse and attempts to downplay his role in the murder.

Defense attorney Kirsten Gray acknowledged Jetson’s complicity in the murder based on the facts presented in court.

While Jetson incapacitated the victim, it was another individual who ultimately caused his death, Gray argued.

Justice Eaton highlighted the profound impact on the victim’s partner and children, emphasizing Raviola’s kind-hearted nature.

Both the Crown and defense agreed that sentencing Jetson to life imprisonment would be unjust.

Jetson, now a father of three, lacked positive role models during his formative years.

“Would it be unjust to sentence you to life? Yes,” Justice Eaton concluded.

Jetson’s guilty plea was based on a “joint enterprise” in the murder, according to Justice Eaton.

Following the sentencing, Police Inspector Leairne Dow, who led the investigation, expressed relief that justice had been served for Mr. Raviola and his family.

– By Al Williams
Open Justice reporter