‘Wild side’ victim storms out in protest at sentence
COMPLAINANT C stormed out of the High Court at Wellington after learning prominent rugby identity and Lotto winner Trevor Snowden had been sentenced to 71⁄ years for historic sex offences against three teenagers in the 1970s and 1980s.
Outside court yesterday, the man said a 10-year sentence would have been more appropriate after what happened to him in the nowdemolished Britannia Hotel in Willis St 28 years ago.
‘‘I’ve been through 20 years of alcohol and drug addiction because of what he did to me. I’ve finally got my life right now and I want to see him spend the rest of his life in jail.’’
Snowden, 68, dropped the crutch in his right hand as he stood to be sentenced by Justice Jill Mallon.
His victims, who gave evidence against him in two High Court jury trials last month, were teenagers at the time of the offending.
The first trial involved complainants A and B, who were between 13 and 18, and the second concerned complainant C, who was 19.
Snowden was convicted of a total 17 charges in both trials, including sodomy, indecent acts and indecent assaults.
The first trial started late because Snowden had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Complainant C told the court he was walking along Willis St past the Britannia Hotel, intending to get a taxi home from Bond St. ‘‘In a very unfortunate coincidence’’ – according to prosecutor Ian Murray – he bumped into Snowden, the publican of the Britannia. Snowden, who knew him, invited him in for a drink. The man gave evidence that they drank three to four bottles of champagne in a downstairs bar at the hotel.
Snowden then suggested the teenager should accompany him upstairs, where they could continue drinking while the publican called for prostitutes. The prostitutes never arrived. Instead, the man was sexually abused by Snowden, who told him, after escorting him back out to Willis St: ‘‘Welcome to the wild side.’’
Snowden’s lawyer, Greg King, and Justice Mallon both noted Snowden had a long career as a hotelier, been a rugby player and coach, and had been a housemaster and teacher at a Wellington school.
In May 1993, he and an employee at the Hotel St George in Wellington shared a $700,000 Lotto prize. But the court was told that, by the time of his trials, Snowden was living in a small eastern suburbs flat and had few assets to his name.
The probation officer who wrote a report on Snowden noted he had exhibited a lack of empathy and remorse towards his victims.
But Mr King said Snowden was ‘‘clearly affected’’ when he read the victims’ statements about the impact the offending had on them.