A judge has rejected a two-time armed robber and convicted rapist’s claim that he is “not a violent man”.
Jason Ross Ford, 30, made his comment in his probation interview ahead of his sentencing in the Christchurch District Court on four charges including the knife-point hold-up of an Ashburton service station.
“I can’t understand it,” said Judge Stephen O’Driscoll. “He’s before me on a charge of aggravated robbery. He’s got a previous conviction for aggravated robbery with a firearm. He’s got a huge list of dishonesty convictions, and convictions for rape and abducting a girl for sex.
“And he still says he’s not a violent man.”
Defence counsel Bridget Ayrey said Ford probably considered he was not a violent man if he were not in the grip of his drug addiction. His latest offending occurred when he had “reached the lowest point and was acting out of desperation”.
Online records show that Ford was jailed in the district court at the age of 16, in 2002, for what was described as the “atrocious” rape of a young woman.
Now he has been jailed for four years eight months, for the hold up of the service station, a petrol drive-off theft from another service station, the burglary of the home of his mother and stepfather, and a breach of a supervision sentence.
Because of the long jail term and Ford’s inability to pay, Judge O’Driscoll did not order any reparation payments to the victims.
Ford tried to use a bankcard to withdraw cash at the service station and when the transaction was declined he presented a knife and told the woman attendant to pay him $80 because he had a bill to pay.
Judge O’Driscoll said the victim impact statement from Ford’s family made sad reading. They had lost jewellery worth nearly $5000 and computer equipment with personal material and photographs in the burglary at Netherby. “They are devastated that you have done this,” he said.
He also quoted from the victim impact statement of the service station staff member, who said she was determined to return to work two days later but had suffered a panic attack. He said she offered Ford “powerful and poignant advice”.
“Wake up, get straight, and be someone your family can be proud of,” she wrote. “Aim to be someone who, when you leave a place, people smile and think of you, and aren’t shaking and in tears.”
Judge O’Driscoll said Ford had difficult personal issues, but it all came down to his addiction to drugs.
Ford blamed his latest offending on not being able to access a residential treatment programme for his addiction.
The judge told him: “You need to take responsibility for your actions and not blame others for the predicament you are in. You must not attempt to minimise your actions and their consequences.”
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