A lenient sentence

Stuff reports:

Far right activist, Kyle Chapman, has avoided jail after he was found with a banned gun and unlawfully possessed ammunition.

In the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday Judge Tom Gilbert sentenced Chapman to community detention with supervision after he was charged with unlawfully possessing over 130 rounds of ammunition, having several magazines and the possession of a Norinco semi-automatic rifle – a gun which is banned in New Zealand.

Chapman is a neo-nazi. As in an actual neo-nazi, not just the term some on the left use for anyone to the right of them. He once firebombed a marae. He is definitely not someone you want armed, let alone with a banned semi-automatic.

Judge Gilbert told the court that Chapman’s daughters said he had given up his “preoccupation with various causes which is a relief to them”. …

Judge Gilbert said the pre sentence report explained Chapman had decided to give away activist activities and “focus primarily on your family”.

“Ordinarily I’d be somewhat skeptical about those comments but the material I’ve read and the report and various letters does suggest that is actually what has happened – though time will ultimately tell,” he said.

He sentenced Chapman to six months of home detention with supervision.

I hope the daughters are correct, but I think it is somewhat naive.

In 2009 he said he was giving up on the far-right when his partner left him. He didn’t.

In 2019 he said he was turning his back on them, to focus on faith and family. He didn’t.