"In relation to today's sentencing, the charge of manslaughter still allowed the judge to impose a lengthy period of imprisonment - reflective of the serious nature of the offenders' crimes - as manslaughter carries the same maximum penalty as a murder charge: life imprisonment." "Based on the evidence available for trial, there was a substantial risk that one or both of the defendants would not be convicted of the legal charge of murder or manslaughter." "Unlike the public, the solicitor-general will have carefully considered all the available and admissible evidence in determining the appropriate charge. Video will play in Play now Don't auto playNever auto playAttorney-General Christopher Finlayson said that accepting the manslaughter pleas and admitted facts meant prosecutors could push for a sentence that reflected what had happened to Moko. The New Zealand Bar Association also defended the process of downgrading murder charges to manslaughter, saying it has "every confidence" in the Solicitor-General's considerations.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 27, 2016 06:02 UTC