27 May 2011

Killer's appeal dismissed

9:25 pm on 27 May 2011

The man who murdered an Auckland liquor store owner has had an application to reduce his sentence rejected.

Anitalea Chan Kee was sentenced to life in prison last May for shooting Navtej Singh in June 2008. He was given a minimum 17-year non-parole period.

An application was filed to the Court of Appeal arguing this was manifestly excessive.

Kee's lawyer argued the judge sentenced him without first considering whether his culpability could justify a lower sentence.

He highlighted that the liquor store robbery was loosely planned and there was no violence beyond the single shot that was fired.

The Court of Appeal says it has no reason to doubt the judge was entirely correct to order the non parole period that he did.

It says a time extension was granted for the application, given it was filed nine months late, but it has been dismissed.