R v Neil

In the High Court of New Zealand, Auckland Registry, the case of The Queen v Paul Christopher Keith Neil involved the defendant, who faced charges of doing an indecent act on a child and breaching parole conditions. The court had to decide on the appropriate sentencing for Neil, considering the maximum penalties for these offenses and his history of previous convictions. The legal issues included determining the appropriate sentence for the indecent act charge, the impact of his previous offenses, and whether a sentence of preventive detention was warranted. The court also considered the victim impact statement and Neil's history of sexual offenses.

The court, Brewer J, took into account Neil's previous criminal history, his participation in treatment programs while in prison, and his behavior while on parole. Despite his compliance with parole conditions for four years, the court found that Neil posed a high risk of reoffending. The court decided against imposing a second sentence of preventive detention, noting that Neil was already subject to such a sentence and that a lengthy determinate sentence would provide adequate protection for society. The court sentenced Neil to two years and two months’ imprisonment for the indecent act charge, with a minimum period of imprisonment of 17 months, and six months’ imprisonment for each charge of breaching parole conditions, with all sentences to be served concurrently.

The final orders of the court included the sentences for the indecent act and parole breaches, emphasizing the importance of community protection and accountability in light of Neil's extensive criminal history and high risk of reoffending.