Ex-Victim Support boss David Charteris appeals 14-year sentence for historic sex offences

David Charteris was Victim Support's southern practice manager. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A former Victim Support boss who was jailed for 14 years for historic sex offences is appealing his conviction and sentence.

The case for an appeal by David Charteris was heard in the Christchurch High Court today.

Charteris was sentenced in September last year after he was found guilty on a total of eight charges of sexual violation and indecent assault dating from 1999 on a boy aged 10 to 12.

His lawyer submitted today that there was a miscarriage of justice during the trial over a cross-examination error about whether Charteris was circumcised.

He said there was a delay when the boy revealed the sex offending to his family and that little leeway was given to Charteris about remembering many years later when contact with the boy ended.

The crown agreed the trial lawyer accepted an error was made on the circumcision matter but argued there was no injustice to the overall decision.

The court heard it was late in being raised in the trial, was only one small part in the judge's decision, and the defendant's narrative often changed about the length and depth of the relationship.

Charteris is also appealing the length of his sentence, after two years was reduced for good character and nine months for ill health from the starting point of 16 years' imprisonment.

Justice Nation reserved his decision