A veteran Dunedin offender with more than 160 convictions has earned an unlikely reprieve after an impassioned speech in court. Paul Anthony Peter Bell (48) told Judge Russell Walker "the penny’s dropped", after spending 30 years in and out of jail. Ms Daysh told the court prison had had a "revolving door" for her client. During his speech to Judge Walker, the defendant said he felt let down by Probation and believed he had not received the support that he required to help him overcome his demons. "Should you breach [the sentence], you can expect to go to prison for a lengthy period," Judge Walker said.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 27, 2020 13:30 UTC