Friend’s death concealed—Court

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 38

Friend’s death concealed —Court

PA Auckland A man who concealed a friend’s death by storing the body under his house before burying it has been sentenced to a yearls imprisonment.

Peter Francis Atkinson, aged 43, a self-employed builder, of Snells Beach, appeared in the District Court at Auckland for sentence on a charge of offering an indignity to the body of David Phillip Wilkins at Whitford on April 22 last year. ' Atkinson, sentenced recently, in the High I Court at Auckland to five I years and nine months; imprisonment, admitted the indignity charge I last week. I The Court had been told that Mr .Wilkins | died while sniffing chloroform • Atkinson s home on,

April 22. ;; ■!. ’ Atkinson later that day I wrapped the body in a shroud and placed it under his (house.

counsel, i Mr David Jones, said that three to four days later Atkinson took the body in the boot ipf his car to a site near the Whitford tip and buried his friend in a shallow grave.

When it (was established Mr Wilkins had spent time with Atkinson the police spoke to I the defendant. Atkinson j explained the circumstances surrounding his friend’s death and showed the police where he had been (buried. Mr Jojnes told Judge Callander (that Mr Wilkins died through his own actions. Nothing sinister could be! attributed to Atkinson. ■ !

Judge Callander; in sentencing Atkinson, said the saga of events illustrated what happened to people who abused drugs over a long period. ! “It was tragic for Mr Wilkins, who died as a result of his involvement in drugs, but also tragic in your case,” he told Atkinson.

“If you had had your wits about you, you would have acted sensibly and notified the authorities so that Mr Wilkins could have been buried in a humane and proper way.”

It was obvious, he said, that Atkinson had concealed Mr Wilkins’ death because of his involvement in drugs and his fear of arrest. “It was a serious example of . offending against the person of your

dead friend and I must take those) circumstances into, account.” | Judge Callander sentenced Atkinson to ; a year’s jail ion the charge of offering! an indignity; to a dead body. The term will be served concurrently with ' this present sentence. | ! On a charge of possessing 24mg of heroin, Atkinson was given a one-year prison terpij while on a third count of possessing instruments for the manufacture ofj drugs he was jailed for ! six months. These terms are also 1 to be served | concurrently. Atkinson , was earlier found guilty after a High Court tria| on charges of burglary and using a firearm agaipst the police, and sentenced on those counts on! February 26. ;