No appeal for sex offending teacher

A Gisborne teacher jailed for sex offending against pupils as young as 13 has been denied leave by New Zealand's highest court to appeal his sentence.

Music teacher Stephen Michael Shone, 31, was jailed for 8-1/2 years last October when he appeared in Gisborne District Court, but the Court of Appeal later reduced the sentence by one year following an appeal.

His convictions included one charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, 10 charges of indecent assault, and one of unlawful sexual connection.

The court was told the offending was ongoing and involved five girls aged as young as 13.

Sentencing Judge Mike Behrens said the offending involved exploitation and a breach of trust.

A Supreme Court decision released today said Shone contended that three of the girls had consented to what he did, and that he considered his sentence excessive.

But the court said that was not a mitigating factor considering the age of the victims.

"Nor is the fact that the mother of the 13-year-old may have encouraged some of the offending, particularly when the alleged encouragement occurred after the offending began and was not said to be causative of the continuing offending."

The Supreme Court said there didn't appear to be any miscarriage of justice in the sentence delivered by the Court of Appeal and dismissed an application for leave to appeal.

- NZPA