June 17, 2010

Street robbery becoming ?‘almost endemic?’ ?– judge

Street robbery was becoming an ?almost endemic? part of living in Christchurch, a judge warned as he jailed three men for forcing a passer-by to withdraw money from a cash machine and hand it over.

Judge Brian Callaghan said there now a strong likelihood that people in the city late at night would be set upon and robbed.

?The robberies occurring against individual citizens, with the demanding of money or items, seems to be almost endemic in Christchurch and that is why denunciation and deterrence are called for,? he said.

He was sentencing the trio for an incident where the victim ? who had been drinking ? walked past them in High Street, in the central city, about 1am on Friday April 2.

He was accosted, assaulted, threatened, and forced to hand over cash and then make two withdrawals from an automatic teller machine.

Manu George Leonard, 33, Charlie Tihema Cooper, 17, and Christopher Puaaelo, 31, all unemployed, admitted the charge of robbery before their sentencing by Judge Callaghan in the Christchurch District Court today.

Crown prosecutor Marcus Zintl said all three of the men had been under existing sentences at the time of the robbery and Puaaelo had also been on bail.

All three wanted to meet the victim and apologise for the robbery, but the victim declined to see them.

Cooper was seen as the ringleader in the incident which was partly captured on security camera.

He and Puaaelo approached the victim and intimidated him into handing over $20. Cooper then punched him in the head twice and forced him to go to the nearby ATM.

The three crowded round while the man withdrew $40 and Leonard took it and walked away.

The other two then accused the man of not having given them $40 and punched or pushed him several more times until he apologised and withdraw another $40 for them.

Judge Callaghan said it was an unpleasant assault which left the victim with injuries to his mouth, nose, and eyebrow. It lasted about three minutes.

He jailed Puaaelo for 21 months, Cooper for 20 months, and Leonard for 19 months, and refused home detention in each case.

?In my estimation, this incident must be marked with the most severe outcome,? he said.