Prison sentence for crim with no scruples

More than a decade after killing a young woman while he was on a witness protection programme, Jordan Young has been told by a judge that his character remained ‘‘largely unredeemed’’ and he will serve a lengthy prison term.

Young, also known as Jonathan Barclay, was on the witness protection programme when he killed Debbie Ashton, 20, in a crash near Nelson in December 2006.

‘‘Your sense of self-preservation knows no scruples at all,’’ Judge Tony Adeane told Young in the Napier District Court yesterday.

Young, 36, who uses various other aliases, was being sentenced after pleading guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The charge arose from a handwritten letter that prison guards found on Young when he was being taken to Hastings District Court from Hawke’s Bay prison on April 5.

The letter asked the friend to admit he had bought stolen property found in Young’s car a few weeks earlier, when Young and a woman had been caught parked up a driveway in Hastings with a car full of stolen goods.

Young asked his friend to take the rap as Young would likely go to jail if convicted.

He told his friend he would only get a couple of convictions and community work.

Young offered to pay his friend $10,000 as well, but added ‘‘Bro pretty much whatever you want name the price’’ and finished with ‘‘Destroy this letter Bro’’.

In November Young was jailed for two years and seven months for the burglaries and other convictions.

His co-accused was discharged without conviction.

Judge Adeane said Young was ‘‘a thoroughly practised criminal offender’’ with ‘‘a conscience-free character’’.

He had two previous convictions for attempting to pervert the course of justice, includ- ing one in relation to the death of Ashton.

‘‘The sorry conclusion has to be reached today that you, at 36 years of age, have a character which is largely unredeemed,’’ Judge Adeane said.

He said Young’s ‘‘highly calculated’’ offending required a stern sentence.

He was sentenced to three years prison, which must be served on top of the term he is presently serving. That means his jail sentence runs until July 2021.