Youth given P.D. after taxi stolen, damaged

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 16

Youth given P.D. after taxi stolen, damaged

A youth, aged 18, was yesterday sentenced to eight months periodic detention on admitted charges of unlawfully taking a taxi and wilfully damaging it. The charges arose from a late-night incident in August last year when Jason Leslie Wade, aged 18, and two associates caught a Gold Band taxi. In events that followed the driver was threatened with a knife and his wallet demanded. The wallet could not be found and a decision was

made to take the taxi. Wade’s two associates have since been jailed for 18 months for robbery. Mr Justice Holland, in sentencing Wade in the High Court at Christchurch, said the evidence satisfied him that the defendant’s involvement did not amount to robbery but to unlawful taking of the car and wilful damage. His Honour said he considered it appropriate to distinguish between Wade and the co-offenders in sentencing. Wade, he said, was

being granted a great indulgence by the court. “How people like you behave who are given sympathy by the court and indulgent sentences will affect the courts’ attitude to others. “If you can show you can be a good citizen in the community then the courts can be encouraged from time to time to recognise cases where op- • portunities can be given short of imprisonment.” Mr Kevin Campbell appeared for Wade; Mr Raoul Neave for the Crown.