P-dealing murderer gets sentenced reduced

File photo / NZ Herald

Convicted murderer Dean Waka Nathan has won a Court of Appeal bid to reduce the sentence he got for dealing methamphetamine from inside Christchurch Men's Prison.

The Court of Appeal today quashed last year's sentence of 20 years imprisonment and set a new jail term of 17 years. The minimum non-parole period of nine years remained untouched.

Nathan was jailed for life in 2001 for his part in the drive-by killing by Highway 61 members of Max Shannon, a Black Power rival.

He pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court last year to running a P supply ring from his prison cell and was jailed for 20 years.

The court heard that used people on the outside to act as bankers and others to provide safe houses for the storage of drugs.

But his lawyers argued in the Court of Appeal for that the sentence was too high and questioned the judge's methodology in calculating the jail term.

- NZPA