Rachel
10-02-2010, 05:37 AM
Mother given jail term over DNA deception
By AARON LEAMAN - Waikato Times Last updated 05:00 02/10/2010SharePrint Text Size GUILTY: Kay Skelton arrives at the Hamilton District Court yesterday. Relevant offers
A Hamilton mother at the centre of a high-profile abduction case has been jailed for perjury.
A heavily pregnant Kay Skelton was sentenced yesterday to two years and eight months' jail after she fabricated DNA evidence and gave perjured evidence during a Family Court proceeding.
Skelton, 40, sat impassively in the Hamilton District Court during most of the 2 1/2-hour sentencing but was led away in tears.
Skelton and her father Dick Headley came to national prominence when, in August 2006, they orchestrated the abduction of Skelton's son from the Hamilton Public Library.
Headley took the boy into hiding in Northland bush, sparking a five-month police search.
The court was told that since 2001 Skelton had been involved in a dispute with the boy's father, Chris Jones, relating to contact and custody of their son.
By mid-2006 Skelton had put in place a sequence of events intended to delay Family Court proceedings but without success.
She then conceived and carried out a "dishonest scheme" to obtain fabricated DNA material to show Mr Jones wasn't the biological father of their child.
Skelton supported the scheme with an affidavit and gave perjured oral evidence in court.
Judge Arthur Tompkins said Skelton's perjury was best characterised by Mr Jones himself who described it as a continuation of her lies and manipulation.
Speaking yesterday, Chris Jones told the Waikato Times he was saddened by Skelton's sentence.
"I would have preferred she just learnt her lesson and said `I'm sorry'.
"The word `sorry' can go a long way," he said.
"I still care for her as the mother of my child.
"It doesn't matter what has happened, she still is the mother of my child and it's in [our son's] interest that we're in good standing."
Mr Jones said Skelton's offending was rightly regarded as serious and had the potential to exclude him from his son's life.
"If her lie had been successful I wouldn't have the privilege of being in [my son's] life today."
Judge Tompkins said he rejected suggestions Skelton's deception was destined to fail.
The judge said if the DNA evidence had been accepted at face value it could have effectively ended Family Court proceedings.
"He [Mr Jones] might well have said `I cannot go on' and the injustice would have been permanent."
Judge Tompkins said Skelton's offending involved cunning and was designed to achieve a "genetic barrier" to Mr Jones carrying on with Family Court proceedings.
Ad Feedback "There was no inevitability of it [the deception] being discovered."
Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster said Skelton's offending was a premeditated and concerted effort to interfere with court processes and prevent Mr Jones from establishing a relationship with his son.
Her "considered, careful and crafty plan" had the potential to alienate father and son and occurred against a backdrop of considerable manipulation, she said.
Ms Foster said Skelton's guilty plea did not indicate any level of insight or acceptance of accountability "because clearly there is none".
Defence counsel Patrick O'Sullivan said Skelton didn't deny her offending and acknowledged her behaviour was "far from blameless".
Skelton had had a dreadful past decade which was all of her own making.
However, in the five years leading up to her perjury, Skelton suffered four miscarriages and became desperate and unwell.
Judge Tompkins said in the particular circumstances of the case, home detention would not be appropriate.
The Corrections Department's website says a small number of women give birth while serving a jail sentence. Some prisoners with babies may be eligible to live in self-care units.
Mr Jones said his son was today a contented, happy boy who was developing into a mature young man.
"Everyone who knows [my son] says that he's got a very cheerful attitude."
By AARON LEAMAN - Waikato Times Last updated 05:00 02/10/2010SharePrint Text Size GUILTY: Kay Skelton arrives at the Hamilton District Court yesterday. Relevant offers
A Hamilton mother at the centre of a high-profile abduction case has been jailed for perjury.
A heavily pregnant Kay Skelton was sentenced yesterday to two years and eight months' jail after she fabricated DNA evidence and gave perjured evidence during a Family Court proceeding.
Skelton, 40, sat impassively in the Hamilton District Court during most of the 2 1/2-hour sentencing but was led away in tears.
Skelton and her father Dick Headley came to national prominence when, in August 2006, they orchestrated the abduction of Skelton's son from the Hamilton Public Library.
Headley took the boy into hiding in Northland bush, sparking a five-month police search.
The court was told that since 2001 Skelton had been involved in a dispute with the boy's father, Chris Jones, relating to contact and custody of their son.
By mid-2006 Skelton had put in place a sequence of events intended to delay Family Court proceedings but without success.
She then conceived and carried out a "dishonest scheme" to obtain fabricated DNA material to show Mr Jones wasn't the biological father of their child.
Skelton supported the scheme with an affidavit and gave perjured oral evidence in court.
Judge Arthur Tompkins said Skelton's perjury was best characterised by Mr Jones himself who described it as a continuation of her lies and manipulation.
Speaking yesterday, Chris Jones told the Waikato Times he was saddened by Skelton's sentence.
"I would have preferred she just learnt her lesson and said `I'm sorry'.
"The word `sorry' can go a long way," he said.
"I still care for her as the mother of my child.
"It doesn't matter what has happened, she still is the mother of my child and it's in [our son's] interest that we're in good standing."
Mr Jones said Skelton's offending was rightly regarded as serious and had the potential to exclude him from his son's life.
"If her lie had been successful I wouldn't have the privilege of being in [my son's] life today."
Judge Tompkins said he rejected suggestions Skelton's deception was destined to fail.
The judge said if the DNA evidence had been accepted at face value it could have effectively ended Family Court proceedings.
"He [Mr Jones] might well have said `I cannot go on' and the injustice would have been permanent."
Judge Tompkins said Skelton's offending involved cunning and was designed to achieve a "genetic barrier" to Mr Jones carrying on with Family Court proceedings.
Ad Feedback "There was no inevitability of it [the deception] being discovered."
Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster said Skelton's offending was a premeditated and concerted effort to interfere with court processes and prevent Mr Jones from establishing a relationship with his son.
Her "considered, careful and crafty plan" had the potential to alienate father and son and occurred against a backdrop of considerable manipulation, she said.
Ms Foster said Skelton's guilty plea did not indicate any level of insight or acceptance of accountability "because clearly there is none".
Defence counsel Patrick O'Sullivan said Skelton didn't deny her offending and acknowledged her behaviour was "far from blameless".
Skelton had had a dreadful past decade which was all of her own making.
However, in the five years leading up to her perjury, Skelton suffered four miscarriages and became desperate and unwell.
Judge Tompkins said in the particular circumstances of the case, home detention would not be appropriate.
The Corrections Department's website says a small number of women give birth while serving a jail sentence. Some prisoners with babies may be eligible to live in self-care units.
Mr Jones said his son was today a contented, happy boy who was developing into a mature young man.
"Everyone who knows [my son] says that he's got a very cheerful attitude."