A man who was sentenced to 300 hours of community work by a judge he called a c*** on Facebook has had his sentence reduced by the High Court.
Troy William Henry LaRue commented on Facebook earlier this year on an article about the now retired Taranaki District Court Judge Allan Roberts, calling him a "f****** c***" with a "saggy chin".
Just weeks later LaRue found himself in court facing unpaid motor vehicle fines to the tune of $6244 and was forced to face Judge Roberts, who was sitting at the bench that day, The Spinoff reported.
After a rapid lesson in manners delivered by Judge Roberts, LaRue was sentenced to 300 hours of community work and made to wait in the cells while his order was typed up.
That sentence has since been sliced following appeal efforts by LaRue's lawyers after questions were raised around the way in which Judge Roberts reached his sentence, Fairfax reported.