Come to court to appeal a sentence, leave with a box of chocolates.
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This was local Magistrate Peter Dare SC’s scathing evaluation of The District Court.
His comments came following his sentencing of Ms Hardman, in which she received two months in prison at Young Local Court on Wednesday.
He was, however, not confident this penalty would be upheld should the case be taken to the court of appeal.
“You and I know precisely what will happen at the hearing of any appeal to the district court,” he told Ms Hardman’s solicitor.
“If past experience is any guide, and it is usually the best guide, the custodial penalty will be swept aside and replaced by a bond and a box of chocolates.
“Your only submission needs to concentrate on whether you want soft or hard centres and whether you want milk chocolate or dark chocolate.”
Ms Hardman immediately appealed the severity of the sentence, leaving Magistrate Dare with little choice but to release her on bail.
The length of time between now and the appeal hearing in July meant that Ms Hardman’s prison sentence would be served by the time the appeal was heard at Wagga District Court.
