Additional prison term

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 5

Additional prison term

A six months prison term, additional to a prison sentence of six months which he is at present serving, was imposed on Tana Michael Panapa, aged 24. when he appeared for sentence in the District Court yesterday on charges of burglary on June 9. and frequenting a building when he was a suspected person, on March 6.

His counsel (Mr P. H. B. Hall) had sought a suspended sentence but Judge Fraser said this would be disproportionately lenient.

The defendant had previously pleaded guilty in the District Court to the burglary. and guilty on arraignment before his scheduled trial in the District Court on the frequenting charge. Mr Hall, in relation to the

burglary charge, said that the defendant had not broken into the dwelling, but he acknowledged that he was a party to the offence, with others.

He said the defendant acknowledged that he was at the cross-roads, and was staring at a life of hopeless criminal activity with more time in prison than out. unless he changed his ways, radically.

He said prison sentences had been no deterrent in the past, and sought a suspended sentence which would have a “built-in deterrent effect" against further offending. The offences had been committed before his sentence on the charges for which he was currently serving a prison term.

The Judge said he took

into account that the offences pre-dated the imposition of the current prison sentence. However, the defendant had a long record of offences for dishonesty.

An additional prison term was justified. • (Before Judge Frampton)

SUSPENDED SENTENCE

A young man was given a suspended sentence on three driving charges, and his driving licence was cancelled for the mandatory period of a year. The defendant. Russell Wayne Richard Harris, aged 21, a driver (Mrs J. Rotherham) was appearing for sentence on charges of carelessly using a car and causing injury to Thomas Walter Thompson, failing to stop after an accident, and failing

to render assistance after an accident.

He had been convicted of the offences after a defended hearing earlier this month. A probation report had been called for because of the Judge's concern regarding the defendant's attitude and demeanour towards his hoick ing of a driving licence. However, the Judge said yesterday the report showed that the defendant had held a driving job for two years and a half, and had given every satisfaction to his employer. He accepted counsel’s submissions that the defendant would be punished enough by the loss of nis driving licence. Mrs Rotherham said the offences had also occurred during a period of aggression and foolishness when he learned of a family member's illness.