|
Wrongly Convicted Database Record
|
Charge: |
Animal Cruelty |
Sentence: |
"NZL$4,500 reparations" |
Years Imprisoned: |
|
Year Crime: |
2014 |
Year Convicted: |
2015 |
Year Cleared: |
2016 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
New Zealand |
County or Region of Crime: |
Taranaki |
City of Crime: |
New Plymouth |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Two homeless women were wrongly convicted in December 2015 of one count of failing to provide adequately for eight cats who were living with the women in their car near New Plymouth, New Zealand. The women became homeless in July 2014 after they lost their residence in Inglewood, and their financial situation prevented them from finding alternative accommodation. Atter the women were charged in December 2014, the cats were seized and taken into the custody of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The two women, one 46 and the other 56, pled guilty. They were sentenced by New Plymouth District Court Judge Gary Barkle on December 21, 2015, who ordered each woman to each pay $4500 in reparation to the SPCA, and that they could only own two cats for the next three years. Judge Barkle also denied their application for suppress their names, ruling that the women had not met the threshold for permanent name suppression. The women appealed and Judge Barkle granted the motion by their lawyers for an interim name suppression order. In May 2016 New Zealand's High Court quashed the women's convictions on the basis the prosecution's couldn't be justified, Justice Dobson, who in his decision wrote, "The appellants positively cared for stray cats they took in, they had them monitored by a vet regularly and provided as best they could for the cats in their care." The women agreed to continue paying the restitution to the SPCA for the car they provided to cats while the case was pending. The women's application for name suppression was also granted." |
Conviction Caused By: |
|
Innocence Proved By: |
"In May 2016 New Zealand's High Court quashed the women's convictions on the basis the prosecution's couldn't be justified, Justice Dobson, who in his decision wrote, "The appellants positively cared for stray cats they took in, they had them monitored by a vet regularly and provided as best they could for the cats in their care."" |
Defendant Aided By: |
|
Compensation Awarded: |
|
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
|
Age When Imprisoned: |
|
Age When Released: |
|
Sex: |
Female |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
|
Information Source 1: |
"Women win High Court appeal against conviction for failing to care for felines, By Leighton Keith, Taranaki Daily News, May 11 2016" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/79874530/Women-win-High-Court-appeal-against-conviction-for-failing-to-care-for-felines |
Information Source 2: |
"Homeless women convicted of failing to look after eight cats properly, By Staff, Taranaki Daily News, December 21 2016" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/75318054/homeless-women-convicted-of-failing-to-look-after-eight-cats-properly |
Information Source 3: |
|
Information Location 3: |
|
Information Source 4: |
|
Information Location 4: |
|
Information Source 5: |
|
Information Location 5: |
|
Book About Case: |
|
Book Information: |
|
Book About Case (2): |
|
Book Information (2): |
|
Movie About Case: |
|
Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org