Drug dealer hits back at 'savage' jail term

Arthur William Taylor (left) and co-accused Ulaiasi Pulete in the dock. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Career criminal Arthur William Taylor says his latest prison sentence is "savage" and he will appeal against it.

Taylor was sentenced in the High Court at Auckland to seven years' jail for his involvement part in a P-ring inside Paremoremo Prison.

His co-accused, Ulaiasi Pulete, was sentenced to six years and three months in jail.

Both prisoners must serve at least half their sentence before they are eligible for parole. They were found guilty of conspiracy to supply methamphetamine while they were prisoners.

They were found not guilty at their High Court trial in February on three supply charges.

On Thursday, Justice Edwin Wylie told Taylor that his offending "makes a mockery of deterrent sentences previously imposed on you and it negatively impacts on people's views on sentences of imprisonment".

But Taylor has since hit back in a statement issued to the media.

He said some killers had been given lesser sentence than him, and cited Bruce Emery, who was sentenced to four years and three months for the manslaughter of 15-year-old Pihema Cameron.

Emery stabbed the teen after catching him tagging his property.

Taylor said his sentence - to be served on top of his current sentences - was not warranted and he would be appealing against his conviction and sentence.

He questioned how he could be found guilty of a conspiracy charge when one of the men he was supposed to be planning to supply drugs to was acquitted.

The Crown said Taylor and Pulete agreed to supply three "round ones" or 84g of methamphetamine they had access to in 2007.

Police bugged illicit cell phones inside the maximum-security prison and uncovered text messages between Taylor, Pulete and a third man who has name suppression.

The police said Taylor set the deal up and Pulete obtained the drugs.

Taylor found a prospective buyer for up to 3oz, or 84g, but the deal fell over.

Justice Wylie said Taylor had a criminal history that began in 1972 and included convictions for dishonesty, fraud, drugs, kidnapping and escaping custody.

Before the sentencing, Taylor was not due to be released from prison until 2017.

Crown prosecutor Bruce Northwood told the court Taylor had a "desire to subvert the justice system and continue his criminal life in prison".

Taylor, who was representing himself, argued that the fact that the offending had happened inside prison was a mitigating factor, not an aggravating one as the Crown suggested.

"It's the Department of Corrections throwing prisoners together. They're responsible for the coming together. It is not any seeking out on my part," Taylor said.

Justice Wylie said Taylor had spent much of his adult life in prison.

"You appear to revel in the minor celebrity status you enjoy in prison."

He said Taylor had shown a total disregard for the justice system and there was a high risk of him reoffending.

Justice Wylie gave Pulete a slight discount for his work with at-risk youth which he had carried out while on bail.

He also acknowledged that Pulete had shown remorse for his offending.

Pulete also pleaded guilty to supply charges near the end of a three-month trial this month.

He will be sentenced on those charges in July.