Prison rioter’s sentence cut

Press, 11 July 1989, Page 12

Prison rioter’s sentence cut

PA Wellington The Court of Appeal has cut three months from a nine-month jail sentence for an inmate involved, in the Qctober, 1988, riots at Addington Prison. Gregory William Murray had pleaded hot guilty to the rioting charge but was tried and convicted by a jury in the District Court at Christchurch. The appeal judgment, delivered by Mr Justice Wylie, said the Court accepted submissions from counsel that extenuating circumstances ; of Murray’s offending ought to have been taken into account by the sentencing Judge but were not. The sentencing Judge had accepted that Murray

was not a ringleader in the riot but had taken the view that he was part of the disturbance, that it took place in his presence and that his actions encouraged the others in what might be described as the general melee. The Appeal Court judgment said evidence had been given in the trial that Murray actively encouraged some inmates to get away from the rioting and that he handed a note expressing this wish by six or seven inmates to a detective sergeant trying to calm the situation, f The sentencing Judge had expressly said there were no extenuating circumstances which would , have justified his departing from what was a lenient sentence. .