Sex offender jailed for six months

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 12

Sex offender jailed for six months

Health -problems, depression and a marital break-up had marred the last 15 years of the life of a Kaiapoi man, jailed yesterday for six months for unlawful sexual connection with a girl, aged nine.

“The cumulative effect of manifold stresses inevitably took its toll,” Mr Mervyn Glue told Mr Justice Hardie Boys when Leslie Keith Thompson, aged 45, a boilermaker, appeared for sentence in the High Court.

Mr Glue said Thompson developed a painful back complaint 15 years ago and about two years later discovered he had arthritis in his right hip.

At that time Thompson lost his job and was in constant pain from the arthritis. He received treatment for depression and a year later had a pin placed in his hip. Thompson ob-

tained work but lost the job when he went into hospital to have the pin removed.

Thompson also suffered from depression and his marriage broke up six years ago. “He is a man who has contributed a lot to the community. He has never shirked work. He gave freely of his efforts to assist other people, and worthy causes.” Mr Glue said Thompson had not been in court before and submitted the offence was an isolated incident. Thompson, he said, was extremely unlikely to appear in court again.

He asked His Honour to sentence Thompson to periodic detention, as recommended in “an excellent and insightful” probation report. Mr Justice Hardie Boys said the admitted offence, involving a girl known to Thompson, was serious

and prolonged. Thompson had shown genuine remorse and the offence was entirely out of character.

“You are well regarded by those who know you. You have been involved in community affairs. “There is no doubt this offence was the culmination of a depressive condition which you have been suffering for some time."

His Honour said he was required by law to impose a prison sentence except in rare and special circumstance.

He said such offences were often committed by people of otherwise good standing. The Judge said he considered imprisonment necessary in the circumstances, but he could make the term relatively short given the defendant’s contrition and problems.

Mr Raoul Neave appeared for the Crown.