Trouble In Fair Christchurch

I read this article on Christchurch's The Press Website. Oh the things you have to deal with when you're a prostitute.


Prison sentence for setting up prostitute for robbery
By DEAN CALCOTT - The Press | Tuesday, 15 July 2008

Two men who set up a prostitute for a robbery were caught after she realised her supposed client was in on the crime, a court had been told.

Ali Ahmadi, 24, a refugee from Afghanistan, and Mustafa Hussaini, 19, an immigrant from Iran, who were both found guilty of aggravated robbery, were each jailed for 4½ years by Christchurch District Court Judge Phil Moran.

The judge said the victim was a prostitute working on her own account. Ahmadi had engaged her services, taking alcohol to her premises and leaving some downstairs after taking some upstairs to her room.

After talking to the woman he went back down to get the rest of the alcohol.

Meanwhile, he unlocked the door to let in Hussaini.

While Ahmadi was upstairs having sex with the prostitute, Hussaini burst in with a pistol, held it to her head and demanded money and her car.

The victim, terrified after being threatened with being shot, talked him out of tying her up, then showed where her car was parked and handed over the $120 Ahmadi had paid.

To make things look "kosher", Hussaini also took Ahmadi's wallet, the judge said.

But the woman realised something was amiss and accused Ahmadi of being in on the robbery.

The judge said the jury rightly found both men guilty, and he regarded both as equally to blame.

There was a degree of planning, the victim was a vulnerable woman on her own and the offending had a significant impact on her.

Little could be said in mitigation, apart from that her car was recovered, the judge said. Appearing for Ahmadi, David Ruth said the firearm was a starting pistol.

The case was similar to a dairy robbery because it was of an owner-operated business.

Ahmadi had already been in custody a year, Ruth said.

Appearing for Hussaini, Allister Davis said Hussaini maintained his innocence, and he was assessed at a low risk of reoffending.