A PROMINENT Hamilton master jeweller who admitted luring a clockmaker into a back room of his shop before four unknown thugs bashed, robbed and kidnapped him over a debt will remain behind bars until at least next year after having his appeal dismissed.
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Peter Edward Charles Williams, now aged 57, was sentenced to a maximum three years and three months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and nine months, after he induced the victim into his shop before taking him to a back room on November 26, 2013.
Once in the workroom, the victim was bashed by four unidentified men before they took his wallet, keys and a diamond ring and tied his wrists together.
Williams had told his staff to leave before the victim arrived and turned off security footage before the assault took place.
The victim was then taken away by the other men at knife point and forced to open a storage shed where property was taken before he was released.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of taking and detaining another person for advantage in circumstances of aggravation.
He believed the victim owed money to a friend, William Barry Jones, and agreed to lure the clockmaker into the shop on the false proviso of giving him some work.
Williams appealed his sentence, arguing the judge had erred by sentencing him on the crimes of his co-accused after they had led the victim from the shop, and that the sentence was “manifestly excessive”.
However, the NSW Court of Criminal found on Wednesday that the sentencing judge had accepted that Williams could not be sentenced on criminal acts after the victim was taken from the shop.
It included the sentencing judge stating: “Clearly, the case against this particular offender ends when the victim was taken from the store”.
Williams will be eligible for parole on January 19, 2018.
