Wayne Smith Christchurch

Defence says the sentencing judge did not take "full regard" of comparable cases.

The impact on the complainant and her family had been enormous. Smith was jailed for a raft of child sex abuse charges, including repeatedly filming himself raping and abusing a girl aged under 10, often while she slept. Crown prosecutor Deirdre Elsmore said the judge's sentence was "unimpeachable". Judge Neave had focussed on a particularly disturbing element of the case which was Smith's use of technology and his filming of the abuse taking place. In comparison with another case, McCormick said the elements of planning and premeditation in Smith's case was much less, though he accepted that the level of harm caused was "incalculable". In November, he admitted 38 charges, including abusing the girl and possessing a cache of at least 180,000 images of baby and child exploitation and bestiality. A 17-year jail sentence for a Christchurch sex offender who filmed himself abusing a girl aged under 10 was "beyond criticism", the Crown argued as the defence appealed the long jail term in the High Court.