Murderer Walks Away with Manslaughter Conviction After Another Closed Door Deal

27th July 2016

“it’s about time Crown Prosecutors just did the job they are there to do. If the police lay a charge of murder that’s exactly what Prosecution should be pursuing” Guthrie

Paul Edward Harris was sentenced in the Whangarei High Court on Friday after pleading guilty to an alternative charge of manslaughter which was entered halfway through his High Court trial. Harris had originally been charged with the murder but after closed-door discussions between Crown Prosecutor and defence lawyers those charges were pled down to manslaughter.

“Stabbing a man through the heart in front of his children and then attempting to run him over isn’t manslaughter its outright murder”

The court heard how the 29-year-old father-of-four was dragged from his four-wheel drive and stabbed after a confrontation with Harris over possum hunting. Harris had taken a knife from his quad bike stabbed Joseph Keogh through the heart before attempting to run him over and driving off.

“The message must be given that such horrific violence is not acceptable and this message must be backed up by our justice system doing its job properly,” Winston Peters.

Justice Faire rejected Harris' claims he had acted in self-defence and said he did not accept the victim was the instigator of the confrontation but did a complete U-turn and in true classic New Zealand justice style sentenced Harris to Five years nine months in prison with no minimum sentence making him eligible for parole in less than two years’ time.

“We need more politicians like Winston Peters who have the guts to speak out against the weak justice system we have right now, and then we might see justice served the way it should be instead of a system full of judges who seem scared of upsetting the criminal” Guthrie

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