Kidnapper in jail for total of nine years

Press, 5 March 1988, Page 33

Kidnapper in jail for total of nine years

( PA Invercargill I A man who kidnapped a Tuatapere stock agent on Christmas Eve was jailed for almost nine years on Thursday. Wattie Adolf Kahu, aged 21, appeared before Mr Justice Tipping in the High Court in Invercargill for sentence on charges of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, theft of a rifle, j discharging a firearm with reckless disregard 1 and using a firearm to I resist arrest.

His | counsel, Mr M. Coughian, said Kahu could i not cope with life outsid£ prison and so he turned to drugs and alcohol for solace. Before the ! offence, Kahu had been drinking and taking drugs, Mr Coughian said, and he was out of control during the drama and remembered little. ! He was sorry for his actions and for the fear he caused the children of his Hostage, Mr Graeme

Finn. ■ Mr Justice Tipping said Kahu’s probation report and criminal record made depressing reading.

“I have the distinct impression that you committed these offences because you wanted to go back to the secure environment of prison,” he told Kahu. “That is tragic but it doesn't make you any less dangerous.”

It was unusual for someone to have two convictions for kidnapping, as

Kahu did, Mr Justice Tipping said. Taking into account the two months Kahu had already spent in custody, the Court sentenced him to eight years and 10 months imprisonment on the kidnapping • charge, one year for theft, three years for discharging a firearm, four years for using a rifle to resist arrest and six years for aggravated burglary.

The terms are concurrent.