A prominent Kaikohe community leader jailed last year for possession of cannabis for sale has received a non-custodial sentence after a superior court quashed her conviction upon appeal.
Mother-of-three Kelly van Gaalen appeared for sentencing in the Whangarei District Court yesterday on the same charge and was ordered to perform 300 hours community work and to observe a curfew for five months between 7pm and 7am.
Van Gaalen's re-sentencing followed a sentencing indication given by Judge John McDonald last month which she accepted. The Crown withdrew one charge of cultivating cannabis at yesterday's sentencing.
Van Gaalen sobbed at the conclusion of the court proceeding yesterday and flanked by her husband Jasper, thanked her lawyer Catherine Cull before heading downstairs to sign paperwork pertaining to her sentence. She did not wish to comment when approached by the Northern Advocate.
Van Gaalen was first sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court to two years imprisonment in July 2015 after a jury found her guilty on the charge. Her family, friends and supporters condemned the sentence as harsh and sparked a "Free Kelly van Gaalen" movement.
