Judge asked to consider boxer's career in sentence

Welterweight Joseph Blackbourn's boxing career is still up in the air after he appeared in the Lower Hutt District Court for sentencing for his part in the theft and torching of a car.

Judge John Walker said yesterday that he would reserve judgment until the end of the week following calls for Blackbourn's sentence to be proportional to sentences given to two other young men involved in the car theft and arson last October.

Blackbourn was one of four to take a car, crash it and set it on fire to cover up what they had done. Two others - one who had taken the keys to the car, the other who had set fire to it - were sentenced to 150 hours' community service and $300 costs.

Blackbourn's lawyer, Tony Rickard-Simms, said the 20-year-old, who represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne this year, sat in the back seat of the stolen Honda. "His part in the offending was less than the others."

He called for the judge to discharge the case without conviction, in order to save Blackbourn's boxing career.

Blackbourn had been ear-marked for the 2008 Olympics and needed to qualify at the World Championships, Mr Rickard-Simms told the court.

Blackbourn intended to go to Boxing New Zealand's academy, but if he was convicted he would be banned. Competing overseas would be difficult with a criminal record.

Mr Rickard-Simms argued that Blackbourn was ashamed of the incident. He said Blackbourn had always been proud to be in the newspapers until the incident, and would now be known as the boxer with a record.

Wearing his Commonwealth Games jacket, Blackbourn appeared in court with his trainer Russell Oliver, his partner, and other supporters.

He is to reappear in court on Friday afternoon.

- NZPA