Armed robber gets seven year six month jail term
A seven-and-a-half year jail term was imposed on a 24-year-old man who carried out a gunpoint robbery of one Christchurch bar and tried to rob another in January.But Christchurch District Court Judge David Saunders declined the Crown’s application to impose a minimum non-parole period on that sentence for Jackson Whakatihi – also known as Manson.
Defence counsel Tim Fournier gave Judge Saunders a psychological assessment from prison, a letter for the judge, and letters of apology for the victims, written by Whakatihi.
He said Whakatihi did not have sufficient skills or structure to resist going along with other people.
Whakatihi offered to attend a restorative justice meeting, but none of the victims wanted to talk to him, he said.
Crown prosecutor Sara Jamieson said reparation amounts had been sorted out for the victims, but the Crown was applying for a minimum non-parole sentence as the two robberies in one night caused distress to a number of people.
Judge Saunders read Whakatihi the three strike warning for repeat violent offenders and said he was sentencing him on one charge of aggravated robbery of the Coasters Bar in Daniels Road, one charge of attempted robbery of The Brewery Bar in Garlands Road, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of cannabis.
He said Whakatihi had been in prison since he was arrested on January 28, two days after the armed offending.
Whakatihi’s psychological report said he acknowledged the offending occurred, but he minimised and normalised the violent behaviour.
Judge Saunders suggested he address his drug and alcohol issues in prison as there was a lot of work to be done before his risk of re-offending would be lowered.
He sentenced Whakatihi to prison, and ordered $1250 reparation to The Coasters Tavern’s insurance agent, and $1660 to the victim who was assaulted by an alleged co-offender.
Whakatihi’s partner at the time, Nikita Chela McCausland, was sentenced for being an accessory after the fact to the armed robbery, and unlawful possession of the shotgun on November 5. She had already been in custody for nine months, and her 16-month sentence meant that she was immediately released.
An alleged co-offender to the two armed robberies is due for trial next year.
Last year, Whakatihi was found not guilty by a jury at the end of a five-day trial, of the armed robbery of the Sideline Bar in Stanmore Road, by two masked men. The jury convicted Dallas Edwards, 25, and he was eventually jailed for six years nine months. In a letter to the judge at the sentencing, Edwards admitted he had robbed the bar.
Category: News
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