By Joseph Nathan, Staff Writer.
Grayson Harland, a 26-year-old man from Pareora, south of Timaru, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison following a string of criminal offences over the past nine years.
With 44 convictions to his name, including breaches of a protection order, driving while disqualified, and family violence-related crimes, Harland has repeatedly found himself in legal trouble despite several previous chances at rehabilitation.
Om 9 December, 2024, at The Timaru District Court, under Judge Dominic Dravitzki, heard that Harland’s most recent offences were breaches of a protection order and continued driving despite being disqualified.
His lawyer, Codi Lilley, advocated for home detention, arguing that Harland’s primary goal was rehabilitation, specifically at a residential treatment facility.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of available options, this was not deemed feasible by the court. Instead, the judge ruled that prison was the only option left, with Harland having previously failed to comply with other court-ordered measures, including intensive supervision.
Judge Dravitzki acknowledged Harland’s expressed desire for change and his struggles with addiction and personal issues, including a relapse during the most recent offences. Despite this, the judge emphasized that the severity of Harland’s history, particularly his family violence convictions, made it impossible to consider anything less than a prison sentence.
Harland had previously been sentenced to intensive supervision for assault with a blunt weapon, a serious family violence incident. The court’s sentiment was clear: Harland needed to take responsibility for his actions, and true change could only occur if he was willing to actively pursue it.
The judge also highlighted the aggravating factors of Harland’s case, including the breach of the protection order, where he had not only made contact with the protected person but also damaged property in frustration. Harland’s actions—damaging a door, a television, and a bathroom window—were seen as clear indicators that he had not yet learned how to handle his frustrations in a constructive way.
Harland admitted to struggling with a relapse, but the court emphasized that this did not excuse his actions.
In addition to the 12-month prison sentence, Harland received further penalties, including a 12-month disqualification on the two driving charges. This term will be served concurrently with his jail sentence.
The judge’s ruling was also influenced by Harland’s lengthy history of disqualified driving, having accumulated nine charges for the offence. His most recent driving violation occurred just weeks after his driving licence was suspended for accumulating too many demerit points.
The court concluded that, while Harland had opportunities to turn his life around, his persistent offending and failure to comply with previous orders left the judge with no other viable option but imprisonment.
Harland’s future will depend on his willingness to seek help and make lasting changes, something the court hopes will occur during his time in prison.
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