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NZ Herald
Peter Maxwell
Stewart at court yesterday. The disgraced
husband of Fashion Week owner Pieter Stewart, jailed for sexually abusing a
young girl, is expected to get a relatively easy ride in prison, while his
victim has "lived with her own hell". Peter Maxwell
Stewart, 62, a member of a prominent Canterbury family, was handed a 3
1/2-year jail sentence in the High Court at Christchurch yesterday, but is
fighting to clear his name with the support of his family. Stewart was
convicted by a jury in December of rape, sodomy, indecent assaults and
inducing indecent acts against a girl when she was as young as 8. The abuse
occurred between 30 and 40 years ago. Before yesterday's
sentencing, a friend of Stewart's approached criminologist Greg Newbold to
get an insight into what he could expect in prison. Dr Newbold, who has
served time in prison for selling heroin, advised Stewart to "keep his
head down and he will be all right". He said Stewart's
wealth and profile would not influence how he was treated in prison. "First of all
it's a very historic offence ... nobody will know the [victim], no one will
know him in prison, and it's so old no one will care. "The second
thing is that he will be shot very quickly out to a minimum security unit ...
where he will be in the company of other people probably of his age. "I think he
will do his time, depending on his own conduct within the jail, fairly
peacefully and get out in a year and a half or so and go home and get on with
his life." Stewart is to appeal
against his convictions, and his family reaffirmed their support for him
yesterday. The victim's family
said the events of the past three years had "devastated, disintegrated and
destroyed families and extended families". "The conviction
of Peter Stewart brings some closure for the victim and those close to
her." Justice Graham
Panckhurst said Stewart had taken advantage of a young and vulnerable girl,
but in the past 30 years had made a significant contribution in the
community. The abuse seemed to
be an aberration in an otherwise good life. Crown prosecutor
Phil Shamy said Stewart's offending was over a long period of time and
involved "grooming, gameplay and leading to violation". |
