16 Mar 2010

Court dismisses appeals over child abduction

3:58 pm on 16 March 2010

The Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals from the mother and grandfather of a six year old boy abducted in Hamilton in 2006.

The boy was taken from a central Hamilton library and kept in hiding for five months.

His mother, Kay Skelton, and his maternal grandfather, Dick Headley, were both convicted of his abduction .

Skelton was sentenced to home detention and community work and Headley home detention.

While both pleaded guilty in the High Court, they appealed their convictions.

In a written judgement, the Court of Appeal says it was perfectly open to Skelton and Headley to have gone to trial and if found guilty, pursue, by way of appeal, their complaints about a refusal for an adjournment and change of trial venue.

The court also says complaints that police officers had any influence on Headley's guilty plea are unsubstantiated.