Sentence reduced

Wellington: A man who stripped his robbery victim to his underwear, beat him unconscious with a hammer and left him lying next to a burning car has had his sentence reduced on appeal.

Codey Kreegher has had about a year shaved off his prison sentence after the Court of Appeal found the sentencing judge had not given him enough of a discount for his difficult upbringing and the amount of time he spent on bail.

Kreegher had been found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, arson, and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

With the new discounts factored in, the Court of Appeal settled on a new final sentence of seven years and seven months’ imprisonment.