KEY POINTS:
A man involved in a vicious central Wellington home invasion in January, allegedly with convicted murderer Graeme Burton, was jailed for six years yesterday.
Scott Elliott, 30, who is already serving a prison term, was sentenced in the Wellington District Court on a charge of aggravated robbery. He pleaded guilty last month.
The court was told Elliott and another man alleged to be Graeme Burton entered a Wellington apartment used as a high-end drug dealing base on January 3 - three days before Burton murdered Wainuiomata father-of-two Karl Kuchenbecker in the hills above Lower Hutt.
They smashed open a locked door and beat a male occupant with a police-style baton.
Judge Susan Thomas noted it was alleged Burton was carrying a revolver and pointed it at the man's head while demanding money.
Elliott searched the apartment and found a woman hiding in a closet with a cellphone.
He checked the phone's recently dialled numbers, found she had called police and responded by calling them himself and explaining it had been a prank call and to ignore it.
The male victim, a convicted drug dealer who has name suppression, received a broken nose, fractured eye socket and serious cuts and bruises.
Defence lawyer Chris Tennet said the most serious aspects of the offending were carried out by Burton.
Burton, who is serving a life sentence for Mr Kuchenbecker's murder, has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to his alleged role.
- NZPA
