Wrongly jailed pair to get compensation

Two men who spent more than nine months in prison for an arson they did not commit are to be paid thousands of dollars in compensation.

Phillip Johnston and Donald (known as Jaden) Knight, were wrongfully imprisoned for the 2003 arson of the Manawatu Hotel in Foxton.

Their convictions and six-year prison sentences were quashed by the Court of Appeal in 2005. The men served 285 days in prison.

They have received a police apology and Justice Minister Simon Power has now confirmed that they will get compensation, the Dominion Post reported.

Cabinet guidelines recommend compensation of between $50,000 and $200,000 be paid for loss of freedom, loss of reputation, interruption of personal relationships and emotional harm for each year of imprisonment. The compensation can be increased if negligence or an improper investigation contributed to the prosecution.

The men's families laid 12 official complaints with police about the investigation into the arson.

Of those, six were upheld or partly upheld - with two related to police failure to disclose evidence to the defence team before the trial.

The families then received a written apology from then police central district commander, Superintendent Mark Lammas.

Mr Johnston's mother, Darrel Arcus, said Mr Power's decision about compensation would not take away the hurt investigators had inflicted on two families, and it would not make up for the time her son spent in prison.

"He had nine and a half months in jail. It was hell."

- NZPA