George Baker is appealing his conviction for murdering Liam Ashley in a Chubb van. Photo / Dean Purcell
George Baker is appealing his conviction for murdering Liam Ashley in a Chubb van. Photo / Dean Purcell
KEY POINTS:
The man who killed teenager Liam Ashley in the back of a prison van told the Court of Appeal today his mother thought his jail sentence was too long.
George Charlie Baker, 25, was given a life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years for murdering17-year-old Ashley last August in the back of a Chubb security van taking the pair from North Shore District Court to Auckland Remand Centre at Mt Eden.
Baker is appealing his conviction and sentence.
He represented himself at a Court of Appeal hearing in Auckland today, telling the judges that the minimum non-parole period of 18 years was too long.
Baker said he didn't receive adequate legal representation and that the judge didn't take sufficient account of psychological matters and his retraction of a statement that Ashley was going to "nark" on him.
He said in court today he now realised Ashley was not a nark, but confirmed he had killed him for that reason.
Baker also said that his mother had told him she thought the sentence was too long.
The hearing was delayed this morning when Baker refused to travel from Mt Eden Prison to court in a Chubb security van.
The hearing was scheduled for 10am but did not happen until 2.15pm after Baker eventually agreed to being transported.
Crown prosecutor Simon Moore said the starting point for non-parole of 20 years for murdering Ashley and the two-year discount for pleading guilty were adequate.
Baker was given a week by the court to file more documents.
Members of Ashley's family yelled "go hang yourself George" as he was escorted from court by security guards.
