Drugged bank robber jailed for six years

A convicted robber high on P when he raided a Tauranga bank made a desperate plea for leniency before being jailed for six years yesterday.
Adam Ronald Leatham, who was strung out on pure methamphetamine and hadn't slept in 12 days when he held-up the Westpac Bank in Cherrywood on May 23, has been sent to jail for six years.
The $6277 cash Leatham stole to repay drug debts was never recovered.
The Merivale 22-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated robbery and one charge of assault with intent to rob a 74-year-old man of his car outside the bank.
Leatham staked out the Westpac branch for 30 minutes from a toilet cubicle across the road. He then donned red-orange overalls and a black balaclava and entered the bank brandishing a plastic pistol and ordered two bank tellers to fill his bag with money.
On fleeing the bank he threatened and then punched an elderly man in a nearby carpark who refused to hand over his car. He then moved on and jumped into a vehicle, forcing Tauranga man Jason Dick out on to the street.
He burnt the clothing he used as a disguise at an associate's home in Ohauiti. was arrested four days later.
In Tauranga District Court, Leatham's defence lawyer Craig Tuck told Judge Christopher Harding that his client had been a young man full of promise until he began using the drug P.
Despite prior convictions, his criminal offending had never been this serious before and his parents had been to "hell and back" ever since.
Mr Tuck said Leatham was remorseful and ashamed of his actions, had already sent letters of apology to his victims, had co-operated with police and was motivated to seek help to overcome his drug habit.
Leatham's actions stemmed from an all-consuming fear of what his associates would do to him and his family if he did not repay his drug debts.
"He believed that unless he came up with the money fast he could be the next one found dead under a bridge," Mr Tuck explained, referring to the double homicide under the Wairoa Bridge last year.
Prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones argued that Leatham's sentence must send a strong deterrent message and that people who wore disguises, waved pistols, fake or otherwise, terrorised bank staff and other members of the public, go to jail for a long time. "And crimes committed while under the influence of P, whether it is to pay off debts or not, isn't a mitigating factor," he said.
Judge Harding agreed.
He said despite Leatham being"flipped out" on P at the time, he was expressly forbidden under the law from taking that fact into the account during sentencing.
"It is clear that the profit from your crimes were used to pay for your P habit but you also can't expect sympathy from the courts for that."
Judge Harding told Leatham that despite his "inept" attempt at a "foolishly doomed to fail" robbery, the premeditative nature of his crimes, the fact he targeted a bank full of elderly customers, the assault and the lasting impact on his victims, were all aggravating factors.
The stolen money was never recovered and there was also no prospect of reparation for the almost $20,000 spent by the Westpac bank on extra security measures in the days following the robbery.
Judge Harding told Leatham that one of the primary factors in his sentence must be a deterrent to others who get involved with P.
He gave Leatham a two-year discount for his early guilty plea, his co-operation with police, remorse and motivation to turn his life around.
A stoic Leatham, who stood silently in the dock with his hands at his side, made no reaction when Judge Harding read out his sentence.
He was jailed for six years for the bank robbery and 18 months each for the aggravated robbery of the car and the assault, all to be served concurrently.
Leatham's mother, who hugged her son as he entered court, sobbed silently during the hearing.
"Yo bro. We love you, Adam," was the final goodbye yelled out to Leatham from family and supporters as he was led away.
Asked to comment on the sentencing, Westpac Bank spokesman Mark Watts said in a telephone interview he was not prepared to comment on the length of Leatham's prison term or the issue of reparation.
"We are simply relieved and glad the matter has finally been settled and we can all move on. Leatham's sentence does however offer a degree of closure on what was a very distressing time for all those involved.
"Bank staff now just want to get on with their lives."
Outside the courtroom, Detective Pete Blackwell, the officer in charge of the case, said it was a prime example of how when police and the community - who were instrumental in helping police make an early arrest - worked together, it ultimately led to a speedy result for victims.
Western Bay CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, who was also in court for sentencing, said Leatham's term was fair given the circumstances and sent a clear message that there would be no discount for any crimes fuelled by alcohol and/or illicit drugs