Three Rastafarians given jail terms

Press, 17 October 1986, Page 4

Three Rastafarians given jail terms

PA Auckland One of three Rastafarians sentenced yesterday to seven years jail for kidnapping an armed offenders squad officer said he would not eat again. He is Christopher William Campbell, aged 29, of Ruatoria, who was also sentenced by Mr Justice Chilwell on charges of using a firearm to avoid arrest, threatening grievous bodily harm, aggravated robbery, and theft of a police radio and gas grenade. . His Honour ruled that all sentences be concurrent with the seven years, but cumulative on a term of imprisonment being served by Campbell. Also before Mr Justice Chilwell, in the High Court at Auckland, were Cody Haua, aged 27, and Raymond Maraki Thompson, aged 22, also of Ruatoria. Thompson was sentenced to four years jail on charges of kidnapping, unlawfully taking a car,

unlawfully entering premises and theft. Haua was given a sentence of two years jail for kidnapping. The men were found guilty of the charges by a jury. Their trial came after an armed offenders squad operation at Whaakah, near Ruatoria, in February in which Detective Sergeant Laurence Richard Naden was kidnapped. His Honour said the evidence was that the prisoners had gone to Whaakah to avoid arrest on serious assault charges. They had caught and held Mr Naden hostage to facilitate their escape. They had two rifles with them at the time. He said that the presentence report said the men came from reputable families and had reasonable upbringing and education. All had embraced Christianity and had strong feelings for their Maori ancestry and culture and what they saw as injustices to Maori people. They judged people in the light of their beliefs to the point where they showed little tolerance to people who did not follow such beliefs. Before being sentenced, Campbell, Haua and

Thompson had maintained their innocence. Campbell, with Haua and Thompson, had asked for sentencing to be deferred. He said he had been denied access to legal aid, and accused both the police and Mr Justice Chilwell of acting unfairly during the trial. “This is the law of man, not the law of God, and the Bible tells me the law of man is the law of Satan,” he said. Campbell said he could not accept any sentence imposed oh him. He had had enough dealings with the justice system to detect spiritual wickedness at all levels. He was a Maori and proud to be so, but he had not been given equality. . Mr Justice Chilwell said he acknowledged that several applications to abort the trial had been made on numerous grounds, the most significant being the lack of legal representation at the lower court hearing. The prisoners failed on that ground because they were not at risk of conviction at that stage. His Honour said he did not accept the criticism of himself. He saw that the trial was conducted as fairly as any,, other over which he had presided.