Joel Matthew Nicholson

Background

Background
From the Daily News 19th January 2008
A Wanganui man who committed knifepoint robberies in Gore and Hawera has been jailed for six years and nine months. Joel Matthew Nicholson (25) was sentenced by Judge Allan Roberts in the Hawera District Court yesterday for the aggravated robbery of the Southland Credit Union on September 4 and the Hawera ASB Bank two days later. His associate, Kathleen Margaret Rakete (31), is already serving three years' jail for her admitted part in the $1100 Gore robbery. She has yet to plead to a charge of driving the getaway car in the $200 Hawera stickup and is awaiting a depositions hearing date.

Only $200 of the total stolen in the robberies has been recovered. Nicholson was serving two months for a breach of bail when he appeared for sentence, after pleading guilty on November 20 to the robberies. He was sentenced to six years and eight months for aggravated robbery. A further month was added in remission of unpaid fines totalling $8755. On admitted charges of supplying methamphetamine at Wanganui, and receiving a stolen laptop computer, the judge imposed nine months to be served concurrently. Judge Roberts said he needed to fix a sentence that reflected the totality of the offending.

Armed robbery carried a maximum sentence of 14 years and he could justifiably send Nicholson down for 10 and-a-half years, but gave credit for early guilty pleas and remorse. "The Crown refers to the degree of planning in these robberies, the targeted banking institutions and the similar modus operandi, but I suspect you simply picked the method that worked the first time for you," he said. Crown prosecutor Justin Marinovich called for between 10 and 11 years for Nicholson, who had seven previous convictions for burglary. Defence counsel Susan Hughes suggested six and-a-half years.