Goff gets tough on drug crime sprees

Phil Goff

Crime sprees by offenders high on methamphetamines could lead to harsher jail terms, with Labour saying it will amend the law so drug use is considered at sentencing.

The law will also be changed so anyone who exposes children to the dangers of drugs, such as manufacturing methamphetamine in homes, may also spend more time in prison.

Justice Minister Phil Goff said Labour's law and order policy would allow use of drugs to be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing, particularly in violent crimes.

That means a judge would have to consider drug use as a factor which makes the crime more serious.

At present aggravating factors include whether violence or weapons were involved, and if an offender was on bail for another crime.

For murder, if aggravating factors are present a judge can impose a minimum non-parole period of 17 years in jail, rather than 10 years.

Mr Goff said the intention was to stop criminals using drugs as an excuse for their offending.

"We are blowing that defence out of the water. Hiding behind a 'P made me do it' excuse is not acceptable."

The Government has previously changed the law to specifically state drug use cannot be considered a mitigating factor when a judge considers what sentence to impose for a crime.

Under the new proposal, a judge would have to specifically consider drug use as an aggravating factor.

Not all drugs are expected to be covered by the planned change; alcohol and marijuana are not considered to lead to the same extreme violence as methamphetamines.

Labour's law and order policy also includes changes to the collection of fines.

It says it will introduce a policy which allows fines to be collected at airports, so offenders who had not cleared "significant debts' to society could not leave the country.

It will make confiscation of cars for non-payment of fines easier, and study whether home detention should become a sentencing option at court rather than at parole board.