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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga brother of double-killer jailed for 7 years for sexual abuses

Sandra Conchie
By Sandra Conchie
Multimedia Journalist, Bay of Plenty Times·Bay of Plenty Times·
11 Dec, 2016 01:00 AM3 mins to read

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James William Curran was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today. File/Photo

James William Curran was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today. File/Photo

The brother of Tauranga double-killer Michael Curran has been jailed for seven years for repeatedly sexually abusing a young woman.

James William Curran, 36, who last month was found guilty of five counts of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection was sentenced in Tauranga District Court on Friday.

Two of the counts were representative charges meaning the offences happened at least once between 2013 and 2015.

The jury acquitted Curran on a further nine charges relating to a second complainant.

Crown prosecutor Richard Jensen submitted a prison sentence of nine to 10 years was warranted before any discounts should be allowed for personal mitigating factors.

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This offending had a number of aggravating features, including the vulnerability of the victim, the multiple types of violations involved, the significant breach of trust and the attempts by Curran to conceal his offending, he said.

Mr Jensen said the Crown rejected defence lawyer Rebekah Webby's submission that her client should be allowed a 10 per cent discount for his prior good character.

Ms Webby argued Curran had led an otherwise blameless life for 34 of his 36 years, and this was opportunistic offending rather than premeditated.

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Mr Jenson said given the repetitive nature of this offending to allow a 10 per cent discount would be giving Curran credit for "maintaining the facade".

Judge Ingram said while he accepted that proposition had some force, the law required him to allow credit for past good character when it was clearly warranted.

The judge said he also took into account that Curran was willing to undertake treatment despite maintaining his innocence.

Judge Ingram said he was satisfied seven years was appropriate after he allowed Curran a 12-month discount for prior good character.

He said it was "serious sexual offending" and he was satisfied Curran offended in the way the victim had described and there was some degree of premeditation.

Judge Ingram said having read the complainant's victim impact statement, it was clear the victim's prospects of recovering from these events were "reasonably good".

"There is nothing to indicate this young woman would necessarily be scarred for life but sometimes the ill effects do not appear until womanhood, no one can predict that."

Curran's brother Michael John Curran, is serving a life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years and six months for the manslaughter of Tauranga woman Natasha Hayden and the murder of Tauranga 2-year-old Aaliyah Morrissey.

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