Another second striker

The Herald reports:

Sitting in a car in the dead of night, a woman had a gun put to her head.

When she couldn’t give David Aaron Stephenson the information he wanted, he fired the pistol at the windscreen.

Then back at her head.

Just five months out of jail after being sentenced to a near three-year jail term, 31-year-old Stephenson was after vengeance on those who testified against him and he wanted the victim to tell him where they lived.

He has been offending for a long time. At age 18 he assaulted a taxi driver dropping off three children.

Stephenson, a Filthy Few gang member who has “HEIL” tattooed across his face, was in the High Court at Hamilton today when he was sentenced to six years and five months’ prison on a raft of charges including kidnapping, indecent assault, assaulting a female, unlawful possession of a firearm and several methamphetamine charges.

With “HEIL” tattooed on his face I am sure he will get a job once released!

Justice Katz also issued a second strike warning for the kidnapping and indecent assault charges which are qualifying violence offences.

That means no parole. It means he must serve all 77 months, not be eligible for parole after 26 months.

And beyond doubt he will go on and get a third strike and then be locked away for a long time. If three strikes had been in place earlier this would be at least his third strike and instead of six years five months he would be serving 14 years without parole which would mean 14 years where the community is safe from him.