Another Three Strikes Poster Boy

A recent Christchurch case reminds us all what a wonderfully effective and discriminating tool the "three strikes" law promoted by Sensible Sentencing Trust, and passed into law in 2010 by the then National - ACT government is proving to be.

After a criminal career comprising 45 previous convictions - nine of them for violence - a Judge has finally put Shane Archbold behind bars for 5 1/2 years, and given him a "three strikes" warning for an aggravated burglary during which Archold told the victim he was going to "take his eye out" with a tyre iron.

"This guy is an excellent example of why 'three strikes' was so sorely needed" said Sensible Sentencing Trust founder Garth McVicar.

"During his 45 conviction criminal career - a quarter of which were for violence - this man has no doubt served a number of prison sentences and been through the revolving door at the front of the prison that was the criminal justice system. Were it not for three strikes, at age 36 he could easily have gone on to rack up another 45 convictions, and continued to be let out on parole part way through each pathetic sentence" McVicar said.

"He has just been rudely reminded - in the form of a serious sentence and a first strike warning - that the rules have changed. He gets parole for this one, and will no doubt be back on the streets in a couple of years. However if he commits another strike offence upon release he will be sent back to prison to serve his full sentence - no parole - and if he then commits a third such offence, he will go to jail for a very long time" said McVicar.

"Thankfully the days of mongrels like this racking up multiple convictions for serious violence are over. The three strikes regime ensures that on the third and any subsequent such conviction violent thugs like this are off to jail for the maximum sentence, to be served without parole".

"This is the law that the Labour Party has said it will repeal if it is elected" said McVicar. "A law with massive public support which targets ONLY seriously violent offenders, and is working exactly as intended. There are no horror stories about poor lads stealing chocolate bars being sent to jail for long periods because that is impossible under New Zealand's form of 'three strikes' " McVicar said

"Andrew Little has been nailing his colours to the mast on a number of things in recent days. New Zealanders deserve to know if he is as blinkered as his predecessors, and whether he still intends to repeal three strikes and allow violent offenders like Archbold to continue thumbing their noses at the law and serving short prison sentences which they laugh at." McVicar said.

"If he needs any information on how three strikes is working positively to make New Zealand a safer place, Sensible Sentencing and its legal advisors will meet with him anytime he likes" said McVicar.

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