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A 17-year-old girl who looked after her grandmother's tinnie house while she was out has been spared jail, partly because of the influence adults hold over her life.
Monyca Wirinia Aramoana-Hill appeared in Whangarei District Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to possessing cannabis for supply.
Aramoana-Hill was caught by police on May 11 selling cannabis from a "tinnie house" her grandmother ran in Rakatau Place, Ruakaka. Her grandmother, Te Neehi Hill, 55, asked her to run the "business" while she was out. Hill is to be sentenced for possession of cannabis for supply and selling cannabis on November 28.
Judge Harvey said Aramoana-Hill, at 17, had to decide whether she wanted to embark on a life of crime, which had a clear and distinctive path to it - jail.
"This is a person with a family background where it seems there is some kind of validation to getting involved in drugs ... and a bit of pressure to bear," he said.
"The other family members, as responsible persons, need to be kicked from here to kingdom come. That, and her age, provides me with the significant mitigating circumstances that allow me to step away from imprisonment."
"You were doing this at the behest of your grandmother. She put you in this dangerous situation."
The judge said that what happened could be described as appalling and inhuman.
It was a unique set of circumstances and Aramoana-Hill had to use this chance he had given her to steer away from crime.
"My very, very strong recommendation to you is that if anybody asks you to do something that you know is wrong, tell them to get stuffed. And you can quote me on that," Judge Harvey said.
He sentenced her to 300 hours' community work and 12 months' supervision.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
