Mitchell Orstler probably thought he was doing someone a favour. Now he's doing time. The 47-year-old turned up at the Whangarei police station after his mate, Tehere Maihi Maaka, was charged with possessing a firearm.
"The gun's mine," said Orstler. "Fair enough," said the police and charged him with unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Sounds simple enough. Except that Maaka is a gang member and Judge John McDonald did not think much of Orstler's explanation that the gun was for shooting pigs. Maaka has pleaded not guilty to possessing the gun.
Orstler admitted possession, and was yesterday sentenced to 23 months in prison for possessing the gun and shotgun cartridges. A visibly shocked Orstler might be considering the wisdom of admitting he owned the gun. He's not a gang member, he just lives with one.
So often you hear judges or prosecutors say that a sentence should act as a deterrent. This is one of those sentences that has to make people think twice about having anything to do with gangs and maybe even guns.
