'A lot of jail likely'

A man in his 20s was likely to spend the rest of his life in and out of prison, the judge predicted in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday.

"Your offending defies explanation," Judge Allan Roberts told Brian Taiapo. Taiapo had already racked up three drink driving convictions, four assaults on a female, resisting and obstructing police and had a final warning on his court file, the judge said.

Taiapo was engaging in indiscriminate violence, had a lack of common sense and no ambition. His life would be akin to a revolving door, punctuated with terms of prison for the rest of his days, the judge said.

For his latest admitted charges of assault, theft, failing to answer district court bail and breaching community work, the judge sentenced Taiapo to six months' jail, remitted fines of $5680 and cancelled his outstanding community work commitments.

A drug-dependent young woman has been jailed after failing to complete an earlier sentence for driving-related offences.

In July, Kayla Graham was sentenced to intensive supervision and community work for drink-driving, driving while disqualified, failing to remain stopped and failing to give information. But her response to her sentence was "woeful", the judge said. Graham was dealing with dependency issues, the judge said. Graham was re-sentenced to three months and 14 days in jail. Fines of $2000 were remitted.

- © Fairfax NZ News