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Nz Army Appeals Soldier's 'Inadequate' Spying Sentence
The soldier admitted involvement with extremist groups and spying attempts; military appeals a two-year sentence as too lenient compared to a recommended 3.5-4 year term.
- A New Zealand soldier was sentenced to two years' military detention last month for attempting espionage at a court martial near Palmerston North in August 2025.
- The soldier admitted three charges including attempted espionage, dishonest computer access, and possession of objectionable material following his 2019 arrest after authorities discovered links to extremist groups.
- The sentencing panel established a baseline prison term of three and a half to four years, applying deductions for the defendant's admission of guilt and the period he was confined under open arrest, and concluded that military detention would best support his rehabilitation.
- Crown lawyer Grant Burston stated the starting sentence should be between 4.5 and 5 years, citing the soldier's lack of apology or remorse, while the Defence Force called the two-year sentence manifestly inadequate.
- The Defence Force appealed the sentence on Friday, emphasizing this as New Zealand's first espionage conviction and stressing the need for strong denunciation and deterrence of such acts.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Defence Force appeals sentence for soldier's attempted spying
The two-year sentence of military detention for a soldier who founded a far-right group and pleaded guilty to attempted espionage is “manifestly inadequate”, the NZ Defence Force has said in announcing an appeal. The soldier, who still has interim name suppression although his application for permanent suppression was declined, was sentenced at the conclusion of his three-day trial at the end of August. He was originally arrested in December 201…
NZ army appeals soldier’s ‘inadequate’ spying sentence
New Zealand's military said on Friday it had appealed a two year sentence for a soldier accused of attempted espionage, describing it as "manifestly inadequate". The soldier, whose name has been temporarily suppressed, admitted to attempted espionage, accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and knowingly possessing an objectionable publication. A military court sentenced
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