A Rotorua man earlier found guilty by jury of robbing Te Puke Jewellers and the Katikati Post Shop on July 24, 2009 was today sentenced to eight years in jail.

Rotorua man Desmond Galvin-Taikato, 19, appeared for sentence in Tauranga District Court on two charges of aggravated robbery.

Security footage of a 2009 robbery in the Western Bay of Plenty in which Casper masks were worn by the offenders.

Pleas in mitigation were made by Galvin-Taikato's lawyer, John Bergseng, on the grounds of youth, and a claim that Galvin-Taikato was the driver and did not take part in robbing the retails outlets at gunpoint.

Judge Robert Wolf rejected the pleas saying there was no discretion for a lesser role as all took part and Galvin Taikato knew there was a firearm, knew the plan and went along willingly.

The plea for a lesser sentence on account of Galvin Taikato's age of 17 at the time was also rejected.

It was the type of offending often committed by young people and giving credit solely for the fact that he was young wouldn't happen unless there were circumstances that warranted it.

Galvin-Taikato has previous offending in both the Youth Court and adult court with previous charges of receiving, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, theft, burglary and a high court sentence of home detention on a charge of injuring with intent to injure.

Galvin-Taikato has been in custody on remand since August 2009 and said in his pre sentence report that he had found two years in custody hard, says John Bergseng.

He was expelled from school when aged 13 and was unemployed throughout his teenage years, undertaking a sentence of home detention in 2000.
'His two years on remand are while most people his age are growing in maturity and starting to move away from home,” says John.

'Unfortunately these two years are completely wasted while he is in remand.”

He pleaded that there is a realistic possibility Galvin-Taikato can still become a full member of society if his sentence was not too crushing.

Galvin-Taikato formed an agreement with others to commit some offending, says the Judge.

They picked up a sawn-off shotgun from Rotorua, bought the Casper the Friendly Ghost masks, stole a car from Mount Maunganui and robbed the jewellery shop at gunpoint. Seven rings were not recovered.

They lay low in the Pyes Pa area before stealing petrol from the Greerton Caltex service station, and then robbing Katikati Paper Plus and escaping with $950 cash that has not been recovered.

The other two offenders, Hare Tawhiti Rex Maney and Rehua Rakapa Ferris, were aged 22 and 19 and pleaded guilty at an early stage.

The Judge sentenced Galvin-Taikato to eight years on each of the charges of aggravated robbery.