“A sentence of home detention for two Whangarei women who beat an 81-year-old in an aggravated robbery is outrageous and must be appealed by the crown prosecutor,” says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

Shalia Leaf and Megan Clarke followed the octogenarian from a restaurant at the Town Basin in Whangārei to her retirement village on May 13, assaulted, and robbed of her handbag. They were sentenced on Monday in the Whangārei District Court to home detention and community work.

“This is the epitome of how weak and ineffective our justice system has become.”

“How on earth can a court find these thugs guilty of aggravated robbery of a vulnerable elderly woman, leaving her with a bloody and swollen face - then hand down a such a slap on the wrist.”

“It is precisely examples like this that has allowed violence and crime to grow in our communities with such a lack of accountability and justice. It is any wonder people feel so unsafe walking on our streets now.”

“Judge Duncan Harvey stated that he was worried about the offenders ‘sitting in jail and doing nothing’, and worried that they would come out worse than when they went in.”

“These two feral thugs will be laughing all the way home.”

“What’s worse is Judge Harvey tried to justify his sentence of home detention by comparing it to ‘lockdown’ and stating that ‘everyone knows what its like to be sent home, and told to stay there.”

“I’m not sure how much more out of touch our courts can possibly get.”

“It is clear we have lost all concept of the intent of the law. We have become so focused on offenders that any justice for victims and safety of the community has gone out the window.”

“This sends a clear message that you can commit thuggish violent crimes and expect to spend a few months at home sitting on your couch watching tv and eating KFC.”

“The crown prosecutor must appeal this outrageous sentence and seek a jail term. We must demand more from our justice system.”
 

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