Former Oranga Tamariki caregiver Malcolm Campbell was sentenced to three years and seven months’ imprisonment on Wednesday. Photo: Stuff / Alden Williams
A former Oranga Tamariki worker who engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old boy he had previously cared for chose to be sentenced without having a lawyer to represent him, saying jail was "inevitable".
Malcolm Wayne Campbell, 50, was sentenced to three years and seven months' imprisonment on two counts of sexual connection with a young person when he appeared at the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday.
At a judge-alone trial in June, Campbell was found guilty after he took part in a "threesome" at his home with Josh Brady, who was 21 at the time, and a 13-year-old boy who had been in Campbell's care for a few months previously.
Brady was sentenced to 10 months' home detention in May after admitting two representative charges of sexual conduct with a young person.
Campbell continues to deny the offending and says he is in the process of appealing against his convictions.
Today, Campbell's trial lawyer, Andrew McKenzie, told the court Campbell was very disappointed with the judge's verdict at the trial and as such did not want to continue with McKenzie representing him.
Judge Paul Kellar said it was "unfortunate", but gave McKenzie leave to withdraw from the case.
Campbell told the judge he wanted to go ahead with the sentencing despite not having a lawyer as he agreed with the Crown that imprisonment was "inevitable".
"I did let [the boy] down, regardless of what facts you believe. I let him down, I let a lot of people down. I had a professional life which I - pardon the language, sir - I totally f...ed up.
"I've been fortunate in that professional life, though. I would like to thank through the courts the many hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have let me into their lives."
During the trial, the boy said he was "peer-pressured" into taking part in the threesome and Campbell was either "very drunk or stoned" and went along with it.
The boy said Campbell was supposed to give him "a sesh" of cannabis, but he never did.
He said he met Brady through Campbell and thought Brady was "hot". Campbell shared this with Brady, which led to him contacting the boy.
The boy told police he and Brady had sex on multiple occasions, but that he only engaged in sexual activity with Campbell once.
Campbell claimed the boy's allegation was a lie cooked up because the boy was angry at Campbell for reporting his concerns about what was happening between Brady and the boy to police.
During the trial, Campbell said he had witnessed Brady and the boy engaging in sexual activity at his house, but he had not been involved.
He admitted he should have called the authorities, but claimed he "freaked out" and worried how it would look if police showed up.
Crown prosecutor Sean Mallett said the boy's victim impact statement showed that he was experiencing "significant and ongoing harm" due to the offending.
The boy said the incident had "ruined his life" and his ability to trust adults. The boy said he was angry and anxious all the time, and used drugs as a coping mechanism to try and forget what had happened to him.
Mallett asked the court to order that all the electronic devices seized from Campbell be destroyed. Campbell opposed this request, saying the devices might be needed to prepare his case to appeal against his convictions.
Judge Kellar declined to order their destruction.
Campbell will automatically be registered on the child sex offender register.