A Christchurch prisoner will have his "cultural identification" changed as he enters jail.
James Anthony Finn, 29, will have his records changed to reflect that he is Samoan, not Pākehā after a ruling from Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish, Christchurch Court News reports.
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Finn looks Pākehā, but a cultural report acknowledged he had a strong link back to Samoan culture due to his background and he felt uncomfortable being identified as Pākehā.
His defence counsel said the cultural report showed Finn had a difficult childhood and it had been "undermined by the impact of seeing domestic abuse".
His sentence was reduced due to the cultural report and Judge Farish made the order to change the identification on the file that will go with him to prison.
Finn pleaded guilty to 27 charges in June and received a four-year jail sentence.
The charges include 12 offences of receiving stolen property, possession of cannabis and methamphetamine for supply and refusing to give police the passcode to his cell phone.
His offending was discovered after a search of his St Albans property and two police stops, where police found drugs, drug utensils, firearms, ammunition, and a machete. Finn was also found to be driving while disqualified.
The court heard his offending was driven by an addiction to methamphetamine. Jude Farish referred him to two rehabilitation programmes he will be able to complete while in prison.
Newshub.
