Crown opts not to challenge wife killer's 'lenient' sentence

Greg Meads was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment after murdering his wife by shooting her in the throat. Photo / Christine Cornege

The Crown will not appeal against an 11-year sentence imposed on horse trainer Greg Meads, who shot his wife in the throat, despite describing his prison term as lenient.

The millionaire was sentenced to a minimum non-parole period of 11 years and ordered to pay reparation of $65,000 in March after he was found guilty of murdering his wife Helen Meads at their Matamata farm in September 2009.

The punishment shocked many of Mrs Meads' family, some of whom could be seen in the public gallery sobbing and shaking their heads in disappointment.

A spokeswoman for the Solicitor-General's office said the Crown would not appeal against Meads' sentence.

"The question the Solicitor-General must ask himself before a sentence is appealed is whether the sentence imposed was, by comparison with other cases of its kind, manifestly inadequate," said the spokeswoman.

"Although a higher sentence of imprisonment may have been available in the present case, the Deputy Solicitor-General has concluded that the sentence of life imprisonment, with an 11-year minimum period and a reparation order of $65,000, while lenient, is not outside the established permissible range of sentences so as to be manifestly inadequate."

Mrs Meads' father, David White, said he had long been resigned to the fact that an appeal against Meads' sentence was unlikely.

"I spoke with [Crown prosecutor] Ross [Douch] and his answer was, 'Don't hold your breath'.

"He said an appeal was extremely rare and even though the sentence was light it was within the parameters of what a sentence should be based in."

Mr White said Meads had until the end of the year to settle reparation with his family.

He would not pursue a civil action against Meads.

"I don't understand what could be achieved by it," he said.

"I haven't looked at it, to be honest, but the way I see it, it is hardly going to vary dramatically from what the Crown's case was."

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said the Crown's decision not to appeal against the sentence was "very sad and disappointing".

He believed the Crown had not given consideration to the 2002 amendments of the Sentencing Act.

"This basically instructed judges that murders of the worst kind ... sentences were to start at 17 years.

"It's a huge slap in the face for the victims and an incredibly sad day for New Zealanders, more so for women who are at risk from men who are incapable of controlling their emotions at the spur of the moment."

After the March sentencing there was further anger that Mrs Meads' son from a previous relationship, 24-year-old Michael Tye, was not party to any compensation for the loss of his mother.

But the Solicitor-General's office said Justice Christopher Allan's failure to order that Greg Meads pay reparation to Mr Tye was "an error".

"A notice of application for leave to appeal - confined to that issue - has, accordingly, been filed."

The office wants the judge to award Mr Tye $15,000.