KEY POINTS:
Two men who have admitted a total of 18 charges after the kidnap and robbery of a young Dutch couple honeymooning in central Northland last year are likely to be sentenced on July 12 in the High Court at Whangarei.
The date is tentative, subject to the availability of two psychological health report assessments relating to Keith Anthony McEwen, 30, the primary offender during the attack on the night of November 10.
McEwen and co-offender Christopher Mana Manuel, 27, of Dargaville, had earlier had their sentencing transferred to the High Court at Whangarei from the District Court in Kaikohe. The pair appeared on callover in Whangarei Court yesterday for a sentencing date to be set. The transfer followed a ruling by District Court judge John McDonald last month to decline jurisdiction to sentence the pair there after the Crown successfully sought to have a sentence of preventive detention considered for McEwen.
The District Court does not have jurisdiction to impose such a sentence and a transfer to the High Court means a judge can consider a harsher sentence for McEwen.
In his ruling in favour of a High Court sentence, Judge McDonald noted that McEwen had been offending since 1998.
Manuel, who has not previously been sentenced to any jail term and is not a candidate for preventive detention, is to be sentenced with McEwen.
Charges admitted by McEwen involve one of raping the young Dutch woman, five of sexually violating her, one of attempting to stupefy her, two of kidnapping, two of aggravated robbery with a shotgun and one of unlawfully using the couple's bankcard.
Manuel has pleaded guilty to six charges - two of kidnapping, two of aggravated robbery, one of being a party with McEwen to sexual violation by rape and one of unlawfully using a bankcard.
