Ex-Gloriavale shepherd sentenced to community detention has spent enough time ‘living in chains’, judge says

A former Gloriavale Christian Community farm manager was told he had spent enough of his life “living in chains” as he was sentenced to community detention for his historic assault on two 11-year-old boys.

Judge Campbell Savage told John Ready in the Timaru District Court on Tuesday that the assault with a metal fence standard on the boys had caused significant bruising and discomfort that lasted several days.

“They had been struck to discourage disobedience,” Judge Savage said.

The 45-year-old, born and raised at the West Coast community, now works on a Timaru District dairy farm and knew only the rules and values he had been raised with, Judge Savage said.

READ MORE:
* Fresh charges laid against Gloriavale child sexual predator
* Gloriavale farm manager struck boys with metal fence standard
* Police letter to Gloriavale reveals places where harmful sexual behaviour was rife

However, the judge said the “victims were vulnerable, completely subservient to you, and you abused the authority”.

“I do understand that physical discipline was commonplace, and you were acting in a manner that you were taught.”

Judge Savage said Ready seemed to have rejected the Gloriavale way of life.

“You are now living among people that have rejected that harsh way of living.”

The judge said he wouldn’t impose a period of imprisonment as the defendant had already “spent enough of your life living in chains”.

“I am satisfied on this occasion the least restrictive is an electronic one of community detention structured for minimal impact on your employment.”

Ready’s lawyer, Kelly Beazley, had submitted that a conviction and discharge was appropriate, saying that he was born and raised in a community that such discipline was accepted.

“He accepted responsibility very early on and has begun to reflect on his own behaviour.

“He has taken ownership for this, and I’m saying a conviction and discharge is the outcome for this.”

Police prosecutor Dave Ellis described the case as an “unusual set of circumstances”.

“Taken in isolation it is quite serious in that young children working with the defendant have suffered a serious assault by him.”

Ellis said the harm to the victims had produced some long-lasting effects and police believed that a sentence other than a conviction and discharge was more appropriate.

Ready pleaded guilty in March as the Timaru District Court was told the victims had been ordered to face a wall and raise their hands before being struck “one after another in the area around their bottoms with the metal break fence standard”.

“He hit the victims several times in a downward motion.

“When the defendant had finished hitting the victims, he told them ‘you do what I say, when I say, and how I say to do it and don’t you dare think you can disobey me and get away with it’.”

Ready was 37 when the assaults occurred.

The boys had been sent to work on the Gloriavale dairy farm after school and had been told by Ready their job was to keep the cows moving into the dairy shed, and they were given separate places to stand.

After a while one of the boys went to where the other was and could see he was having trouble so decided to stay and help.

Ready, after a short time, came out of the milking shed and began pushing the cows into the race.

“The defendant then walked over to where the victims were standing and told them to come with him.”

Ready took the victims out of the yard and around to a wall outside where the assaults occurred.

Beazley said Restorative Justice was offered by the defendant but was not accepted.

Ready’s community detention hours are 9pm to 3am.