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Archived Press Releases 2005 25th August 2005

Police urged to appeal Bail

(25th August 2005)

The Judge got it wrong and Police are being urged to appeal the bail granted to the man charged with the vicious assault of an Auckland truck driver.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust believe the Judge "needs his head examined" and Bail should not have been granted to the 35 year old Mangere man who turned himself into Police after seeing security footage of the attack on Television.

Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said the Judge may have got it wrong but the 2002 Bail Act had clear provisions for the Police to appeal such cases. "This was a premeditated lethal attack on a defenceless man, the Police need to make an example of this guy, and he needs to learn that the law will not tolerate violence of this nature."

Mr McVicar said that after recent correspondence with the Minister of Justice about bail being granted in similar violence cases Mr Goff had stated that the new Bail Act specifically gave the Police far greater powers to appeal if they did not agree with the Judges decision.

"The Sensible Sentencing Trust has worked hard to promote legislation to ensure the Police have the power to stop the recycling of this type of violent offender, and we encourage the Police to use the legislation in the way it was intended."

"We find it absolutely mind boggling that a member of the public can be dragged out of their vehicle, assaulted with a hammer and beaten so badly that they require Hospital treatment."

The real travesty of Justice occurs when these offenders are allowed back on the streets, Mr McVicar said.

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.