Man's sentence cut for brutal attack on widow

Brett Stuart Wellm (R) left Dinah Gavin for dead after tricking his way into her home with a Bible. Photos / Herald on Sunday

A man convicted of a barbaric attack on an 83-year-old woman during a three-hour rampage in Auckland has had two years taken off his 17-year minimum jail term.

Brett Stuart Wellm was sentenced to preventive detention with a minimum term of 17 years last year after admitting tying up the woman then assaulting her with a spade and a pair of hedge clippers in 2007.

He left her tied up and in a pool of blood and set fire to the house. The woman survived the attack and spent nearly a month in hospital recovering.

Wellm also admitted aggravated burglary and threatening to kill a police officer.

At the time of sentencing the judge said the attack showed "sadistic cruelty on a scale beyond comprehension" and society needed to be protected from him.

Wellm appealed against the length of the minimum term, arguing that the sentence failed to give enough weight to his guilty plea and the length was out of line with comparable cases.

His lawyer argued that if the minimum term was reduced the Parole Board would still have to be satisfied that Wellm was not a risk to the community before he was released.

The victim would still have the assurance that Wellm would not be allowed out in her life-time.

The Court of Appeal agreed and reduced the minimum term from 17 years to 15.

- NZPA