Four months’ jail for repeated threats to PM
Serial threat-maker All Means All has gone to jail for four months maintaining that he will not eat or drink until he is released.
The Oxford farmer is likely to serve two months jail time of that sentence for his repeated letters threatening to kill Prime Minister John Key over a long standing dispute with successive governments.
Judge Jane Farish told the 57-year-old: “From the outset you have told the court and the jury that you will refuse food and water. You wish to make a martyr of yourself and take a stand. That is entirely your choice.
“You are responsible for your own actions and your own choices. I imagine that the hospital authorities and the psychiatric authorities may have some intervention at that time.”
All Means All politely thanked the judge when he was sentenced to four months imprisonment.
He had himself ruled our home or community detention as a punishment by refusing to make his property available. He said he would not do community work, and he had paid nothing of the $20,000 fine imposed last time he did this and went to trial.
That meant imprisonment was the only option left, in spite of All Means All’s hunger strike threat.
All Means All defended himself at the trial, and Judge Farish said he did it ably and courteously. The jury accepted some of his defence and acquitted him on two charges.
At his sentencing, he made accusations of unfair treatment by the Crown and lies told in court by a police witness and he repeated his hunger strike threat. He has said previously that he “will not eat the corrupt government’s food or drink its drink”.
Judge Farish told him there were plenty of methods for him to continue his right to protest without doing it illegally. She said he was a man of strong opinions and high integrity.
“I imagine some of the high ideals you have are very hard for others to live up to,” she said.
His letter writing campaign, when he had “tried to have another go at the system”, had not caused any disruption, she said.
She said it was a shame that he refused to do community work because he had skills that would have been valuable within the community.
All Means All sent his letters in July 2012 to news media, the Prime Minister’s office, and parliamentary officials, with a message for the Prime Minister saying, “All’s going to kill you.”
The jury found him guilty of making threats in these six letters but acquitted him on two other letters that said: “All’s going to blow you to kingdom come.” A charge of criminal harassment was dropped during the trial.
The grievance arises from his long running dispute with the Commissioner of Crown Lands.
Category: News
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Connect
Connect with us via: