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Michael Sneller
.
Murdered Lower Hutt man Robert Cancian during a robbery at his home in February 1983
Committed a number of drug offences upon his release from prison
Robert Cancian
Ricki Goodin
Arthur Taylor
Wayne Maurice Carstairs (deceased)
none known
Born 1945
Prison
Sentenced to "life" seven years at that time in late 1983
Was released 1993, reoffended September 1994
Sentenced to 18 months (conspiracy to supply cannabis plant and 30 morphine tablets) in March 1996
Was re-paroled and reoffended October 1997, recalled September 1998
Sentenced to 18 months (manufacturing and possessing cannabis oil) in August 1998
Was re-paroled in 2001 and reoffended in 2006
Sentenced to 5 years 6 months (supplying methamphetamine and having the drug for supply) in August 2008
Has next parole hearing June 2010
Background
EVENING POST, March 18th 1996
Two convicted murderers have been given jail sentences for conspiring to supply cannabis to one of them in prison. In the High Court at Wellington on Friday Michael John Sneller, 51, of Stokes Valley, was sentenced to four months jail for the cannabis conspiracy and a concurrent term of 18 months for conspiracy to supply morphine. Sneller was convicted of murder and aggravated robbery in 1983. He was released on life parole three years ago.
Riki Goodin, 48, was sentenced to six months jail for the cannabis conspiracy. He was convicted of murder in 1980 and released on life parole in 1991. Goodin was serving a sentence for another offence, committed on September 10, 1994, when he rang Sneller from prison asking for cannabis. Goodin made an eloquent plea from the dock for the judge not to send him to prison. He said he didn't have a drug problem until he went to prison. He had been locked up since he was eight years old and it was time to try an alternative.
"There are more drugs in jail than there are on the outside. If you want me to beat my problem, don't put me inside."Sneller's de facto wife, Barbara Ann Stuart, 29, delivered the cannabis to Goodin. Justice McGechan said she was a reluctant courier and sentenced her to three months periodic detention. Last May Stuart was sentenced to jail on drugs charges arising at the same time as the cannabis charge. Sneller cared for their young child during her sentence. The morphine charge against Sneller involved tablets sold for about $3000 to a woman who prosecutor Mark O'Donoghue said ran a "drug supermarket".
EVENING POST, August 26th 1998
The man convicted of beating Lower Hutt businessman Robert Cancian to death in 1983 may be recalled to serve his life sentence after being convicted of two drugs charges. Michael John Sneller, 53, was convicted of beating Mr Cancian to death during a $16,000 robbery at Mr Cancian's Lower Hutt home in February 1983. Sneller, formerly of Stokes Valley, served about 11 years in jail for the crime and was released on life parole.
In Wellington District Court yesterday he was sentenced to another 18 months in jail after earlier pleading guilty to charges of manufacturing and possessing cannabis oil. He had previously been convicted and jailed on two drugs charges dating from 1994. Today, Corrections Department Parole Board secretary John Meek confirmed that an application for Sneller's recall had been made following his latest conviction.
He said Sneller had been released on parole under supervision and on a number of conditions. If the Parole Board does order a recall then Sneller will have to serve his latest drug sentence before the possibility of his release is further considered by the board. The recall application hearing is set down for September 4. In court yesterday, Judge Patrick Keane said Sneller and an associate were discovered manufacturing cannabis oil when police searched his home in Chatsworth Rd, Silverstream, in October 1997.
There was enough oil to make 100 capsules, which would have had a total street value of about $3000. His associate pleaded guilty and was earlier sentenced to 18 months jail. Crown prosecutor Kate Feltham argued that Sneller should receive a longer jail term because he had pleaded guilty at a later stage than his co-offender - on the day the court case was to begin. As well, she said, he directly benefited from the drug manufacture and sale.
He and his partner were paying $350 rent a week for the Chatsworth Rd home, yet between them received just $300 a week from benefits. Equipment and material at Snellers' home indicated that it was not the first time cannabis oil had been manufactured there. Sneller's lawyer, Paul Paino, said Sneller had a boarder who helped offset the cost of the rent. He argued that there was no evidence Sneller played any greater part than his co-offender.
As well, no evidence had been given that any more than one manufacturing operation had been carried out. He described Sneller as a committed family man, who had a strong relationship with his partner and a four-year-old daughter. He also has adult twin daughters. Judge Keane said that while there appeared to have been equipment and material for drug-making at Snellers' home, on the evidence he had to treat Sneller the same way as his co-offender. So with "some hesitation and reluctance", he imposed the 18-month jail term for both charges.
