Duo jailed over spate of robberies have sentences reduced on appeal

Ivan Carr was involved in a series of armed robberies on Armourguard cash vans. Photo / File

The man behind a spate of armed robberies throughout Auckland, that included three hold-ups of Armourguard cash vans, has had years shaved off his sentence.

Ivan Douglas Carr was jailed by Justice Mathew Downs for 16 years but an appeal has reduced that to an effective 10 years and a half years.

Steve George Anderson, a co-offender on some of the offending, also had his sentence reduced falling by a year to four years and 10 months' imprisonment.

Both appellants argued at the Court of Appeal the Justice Downs erred in failing to apply a reduction to reflect their upbringing and associated cultural and social deprivation.

Carr also submitted the global starting point used in his sentencing as too high.

Carr's string of offending started in October 2017, when - donning a mask - he and an unknown man confronted the driver of BMW with a hammer.

The victim was dragged out of his car, which the offenders fled in - taking the man's phone, wallet and keys with them.

Some three weeks later, Carr and another unidentified offender went to a shopping centre in Glen Eden.

In broad daylight the two men robbed an Armourguard cash van at gunpoint, making off with a little more than $11,000.

A little after 1pm on April 5, 2018, Carr and another offender robbed an Armourguard cash van outside a shopping mall in Milford.

Driving a Subaru stolen earlier that month, Carr shadowed the van as it travelled around the area until it arrived at a mall.

There he reversed into the van. A co-offender confronted an employee with a knife.

The victim dropped to the ground and the co-offender took a cash case containing $34,000 which was not recovered.

Carr committed yet another cash van robbery, this time with Anderson, in May 2018.

First, Carr stole a Mazda before driving it on Queen St where the pair robbed a tourist of a camera bag.

The victim's brother gave chase, grabbing hold of the car's roof rack as they drove away, accelerating quickly, turning a corner and swerving left and right to dislodge him.

The victim was thrown from the car and landed on the road.

Justice Downs said he could have been badly injured, or even died, if he had fallen head first or been hit by another car.

About 4 pm the same day, Carr and Anderson arrived at a branch of the Bank of New Zealand on Dominion Rd.

There an Armourguard cash van was replenishing the ATM with cash.

Anderson, pulling a hooded top down over his face, rushed toward an Armourguard employee.

After a brief scuffle, Anderson took the cash case which had some $280,000.

They were apprehended later that afternoon, with police recovering both the Mazda and the money.

At sentencing, Justice Downs commented that while this cash van robbery was "less sophisticated" than the earlier ones, but it too had been planned.

In respect of their cultural reports the judge had repeated an earlier observation that "many people with disadvantaged backgrounds do not commit criminal offences, let alone ones like this".

Justice Downs sentenced to Carr to 16 years' imprisonment and Anderson five years and 10 months' imprisonment.

Ivan Douglas Carr and Steve George Anderson had been sentenced in the High Court at Auckland by Justice Mathew Downs. Photo / File

An appeal decision given by Justice Mark Cooper and released today outlines why the sentences were lowered.

On behalf of Carr, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield said the sentencing approach had been "too mathematical", instead of holistically reflecting on the offending and comparing it to similar cases.

He submitted Carr's cultural report showed he had a disadvantaged background by reason of disconnectedness from Te Ao Māori, exposure to family violence, gang affiliations and limited education.

Justice Cooper, along with Justices Duffy and Edwards, agreed the starting point was too high and allowed a discount for his cultural report.

In changing the lead offence to a term of 10 years and six months' imprisonment, they also ruled all other sentences would be served concurrently.

Carr must serve a minimum of five years and three months.

For Anderson, Mansfield again submitted he should have a discount for the matters referred to in the cultural report.

Anderson was expelled from intermediate and joined the Crips gang at the age of 14.

In his report the author concluded his transition to adulthood had been impacted negatively by his peer group and community influences.

The Court of Appeal judges allowed discount to recognise the "corrosive effect of the
anti-social relationships" in which Anderson had been continually involved.

Anderson's sentence was reduced by a year to four years and 10 months' imprisonment.