The Sensible Sentencing Trust is a political advocacy group based in Napier, New Zealand. The Trust's stated goal is "to educate both the public and victims of serious violent and/or sexual crime and homicide" It focuses on advocating for the rights of victims and tougher penalties against offenders.
Goals and issues
The Sensible Sentencing Trust' stated purpose sole purpose is "to educate both the public and victims of serious violent and/or sexual crime and homicide." Key goals include educating victims of their rights and entitlements, educating the public about the light of victims, and supporting victims of crime through education, trauma support, accessing protection, and providing social rehabilitation.
The Trust has campaigned for several goals including: tightening criteria for name suppression adding burglary to the schedule of "three strikes" offenses imposing mandatory maximum sentences on unprovoked attacks introducing a "degrees of murder" sentencing regime including a "life means life" provision for first degree murder replacing the "Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity" (NGBRI) verdict with one of "Proven, but insane" amending the definition of "reckless murder" in the Crimes Act 1961 to include kicking and stomping the victim's head introducing the offense of home invasion to the Crime Act 1961 establishing a Victims Commissioner abolishing parole introducing cumulative sentencing compensating jurors based on their income rate tightening the criteria for restorative justice.
Organisational structure
The Sensible Sentencing Trust consists of two separate trusts. The Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) which advocates on behalf of victims of serious violent and/or sexual crime and homicide in New Zealand. SST is a registered charitable trust which does not have donee status with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). The Sensible Sentencing Group Trust (SSGT) which serves to educate the public as to the plight of victims and to ensure such victims and their families are fully aware of their rights and entitlements, providing both education and practical support during their time of trauma. SSGT is a registered charitable trust which has donee status with the Inland Revenue Department.
History
Formation
The Sensible Sentencing Trust was formed by Garth McVicar in 2001 in response to the prosecution and trial of Mark Middleton for threatening to kill Paul Dally who tortured, raped, and killed Middleton's 13-year-old stepdaughter Karla Cardno in 1989. Due to public sympathy for Middleton over Dally's crimes, Judge Michael Lance sentenced Middleton to nine months' jail suspended for two years. McVicar supported Middleton during his trial.
Following Middleton's prosecution and trial, McVicar and 30 supporters established the Sensible Sentencing Trust to advocate for tougher sentencing for violent offenders including life imprisonment. Membership quickly grew to 135,000 by 2002. In addition, the Trust attracted 3,000 donors and chapters were established across New Zealand. In addition, the Trust established a youth division.
By 2009, McVicar claimed that the Trust had over 150,000 members including between 15 and 20 Members of Parliament including former ACT MPs David Garrett and Stephen Franks. Notable Trust members have included Stephen Couch and Rita Coskery. Couch was the sister of Susan Couch, a survivor of a 2001 triple homicide at the Panmure Returned and Services' Association (RSA) club perpetrated by William Dwane Bell. Couch as a Trust Member has advocated the reintroduction of capital punishment and three strikes legislation. Coskery was the mother of Auckland pizza delivery driver Michael Choy, who was assaulted and murdered by several youths including Bailey Junior Kurariki.
