Palmerston North Judge Goes Easy on Headhunters Gang Prospect
26th February 2016
Judges have a responsibility to keep the community safe and out of harm’s way but a 12 month home detention sentence
doesn’t come close to keeping the community safe, in fact it endangers it!
Sensible Sentencing Trust Spokesperson Scott Guthrie has labelled the sentencing of 29 year old Head Hunters gang
prospect Arana Gardiner on charges of threating to kill as weak gutless and totally out of touch.
Gardiner held 2 Palmerston North women hostage over several hours and repeatedly threatened to kill and rape them.
Gardiner has previous criminal history including escaping police custody.
When sentencing Palmerston North Judge David Smith said “ it was a case of a prolonged period of terror” but then went
on to take into consideration Gardiner’s remorse and early guilty plea and then in true New Zealand Judge style he
failed to take into consideration the effect that this horrific offending has had on the victims.
Threating to kill carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment but this gang affiliate got a smacked hand and
was sentenced to just 12 months home detention and is still free to roam the streets and terrorise the public of New
Zealand.
Scott is calling on Minister of Justice, Amy Adams, to introduce legislation that requires any judge accountable for all
sentences they hand out END.
ends