Armed robber jailed for nine years

A Timaru man who fired a rifle at police when they caught up with him for two armed robberies has been jailed for nine years.

James William Eddington, a 29-year-old freezing worker, was sentenced by Justice Rachel Dunningham in the High Court at Christchurch on seven charges transferred from Timaru.

The judge said she was not satisfied that an open-ended term of preventive devention was necessary “at this point”, but she imposed a five-year non-parole term.

She also gave him the first strike warning under the system that imposes heavier sentences on repeat violent offenders and noted that an extended supervision order would be able to be imposed on his release.

Justice Dunningham said a health assessor had noted Eddington was prone to return to destructive habits of substance abuse when life became difficult. He had complex rehabilitation needs but the report writers said his prospects were “not irredeemably bleak”.

Prosecutor Andrew McRae said the Crown sought a sentence of preventive detention or a stern prison term with a starting point of 11 to 12 years before adjustment were made for other factors such as his guilty pleas.

Health assessors identified Eddington as being a high risk of reoffending unless he undertook rehabilitative intervention.

He had been jailed for five years four months in 2009 for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He had then talked of getting himself off drugs and alcohol, and had done two programmes, but had reverted to his previous behaviour as soon as he was released from prison.

Defence counsel Rupert Glover said Eddington would engage in treatment. His family was in court to support him. He pointed out that the psychologist and psychiatrist had spoken of “conditional optimism” that if Eddington engaged in treatment, there could be a carefully planned return to the community with a low risk of further offending. He argued that a finite prison term would mean faster access to treatment for Eddington, instead of the delays that often took place on preventive detention.

Justice Dunningham said Eddington’s intoxicated and highly volatile mental state during the offending was concerning. Although there had been no physical injuries, a significant amount of emotional trauma had been inflicted on the victims. The second robbery involved a loaded firearm.

She noted he had shown remorse and had sent letters of apology to the victims and the court, but his lack of effort to change in the past “warrants scepticism”.

Eddington had pleaded guilty to two charges of armed robbery, two of assault, using a firearm against a police officer, unlawful possession of a firearm, and drink-driving.

About 4.40pm on February 18, 2015, Eddington and an associate parked near Highfield Mall and Timaru and Eddington went into the NZ PostShop, armed with a knife and with his T-shirt pulled up partially covering his face as he approached the counter.

He pulled out the knife and demanded money from the 15-year-old staff member. Staff hid at the back of the shop and another staff member then approached Eddington. He demanded money again and tried to get behind the counter by repeatedly shoulder-charging the door.

While staff prepared the money, he walked around the shop with his knife and made the five customers kneel.

He ordered a staff member to open the safe, but she was unable to do so. He left the shop with $2385 in cash.

About 7pm the same day, he and his associate parked beside a service station in Fairlie where Eddington went inside with a .22 rifle with telescopic sights and a silencer and demanded cash and tobacco from the only staff member. He made the only customer kneel and put his hands up. He got $260 from the cash register, and tobacco, before telling another customer to leave when she had entered the shop area. He pointed the rifle at the customer and shop assistant before leaving.

Police set up a cordon and stopped the car near Pleasant Point where Eddington got out and fired a shot towards the armed police from a range of about 90m. He was found on farmland soon after, with the rifle and stolen property. He told police he would have shot the police dog and the officers.

An officer and a doctor who was treating him were assaulted at the police station. He tried to stab the doctor with a pair of scissors he snatched, but failed.

The co-offender who had remained in the car, 23-year-old Dionysia Keen, was dealt with separately and jailed for two years nine months.

Eddington was disqualified for six months for the drink-driving.

 

 

Tags: armed robbery, firearm, shooting

Category: News