Snitch’s jail sentence reduced
A Manawatu man who cut off an ankle bracelet and fled to Canada, where he abducted a prostitute, has won a small reduction in his latest prison term.
Michael Edward Farley was jailed for seven years on charges of conspiring to defeat the course of justice, breaching home detention, fraudulently obtaining a false passport and using a false passport.
His offending began way back in March 2010, when he was arrested for being on a property without reasonable excuse.
But, after skipping, the country he avoided jail in New Zealand until he was sentenced in Palmerston North District Court in April 2016 – although he served time behind bars in Canada for abducting and brutally beating a 42-year-old Canadian sex worker.
This year, he appealed his latest sentence in the Court of Appeal, which shaved seven months off, meaning he now must spend six years and five months behind bars, according to a judgment released on Monday.
In 2010, Farley found out who made the call to police about his initial offending and discussed it with an associate, Phoebe O’donoghue, how that person might be persuaded not to give evidence.
A plan was hatched for O’donoghue to assault the witness. Instead, she went to the witness’ house and threw in a Molotov cocktail, causing a fire that destroyed the home.
Farley denied being involved, but eventually changed his tune and helped find O’donoghue.
While awaiting trial on the defeat the course of justice charge, Farley was sentenced to home detention on unrelated charges.
However, after successfully applying for a New Zealand passport under a fake name he removed his home detention bracelet and fled to Australia, then Canada.
After his prison sentence there, he was extradited to New Zealand.
Farley said he fled New Zealand as he had been subject to intimidation, including death threats, as a result of his involvement in O’donoghue’s offending.
Farley appealed his seven-year sentence, stating his discount for assistance to the police was inadequate.
The court’s judges agreed and said the purpose of a discount was to recognise the value of assistance given to police and to encourage offenders to inform on others.
They said the police learned about the conspiracy, the arson and O’donoghue’s whereabouts because of Farley.
The Court of Appeal said his motivation might have been selfserving, but it disclosed his own involvement when he had an alibi for the arson.