“Rot in hell,” a woman shouted Tuesday in the Palmerston North District Court, where 80-year-old James Leslie Booth was sentenced to seven years in prison.
“You deserve the electric chair.”
Booth previously confessed to 13 charges of indecency and eight of sexual assault through unlawful sexual associations against four boys he taught at a name suppression Manawatū school.
Booth was a well-known figure at the school and his offense occurred in the early 1980s against three boys, and in the late 1990s and early 2000s against another, all at a central school camp on the North Island.
The student he was insulted against in the late 1990s and early 2000s read a victim statement to the court, saying Booth’s grooming and insult had ruined his life.
The man, whose name is automatically suppressed, lives in Australia and struggles with alcohol and drug problems, which he says affected his family life.
Twenty-five years ago, he was happy to be in Booth’s class, as Booth had taught his family, and he soon became a teacher’s darling.
Booth took him to camp and the pair would enjoy outdoor activities together – “a young boy’s dream in fact and always having fun”.
“We always went on holiday to Taup, where he would spoil me.”
Booth bought the boy his first car, the couple would buy Lotto tickets together with their “special numbers”, and later Booth would get him beer and cigarettes.
Booth didn’t insult him at first, but that changed.
“Jim was my teacher. He was an older man and he took care of me, and that’s just not okay,” the man said.
“I think of someone who did this to my daughter and I know I would probably be sent to jail for what I would do to them.”
The man said he knew Booth was doing wrong, but he was confused.
He ended up living on the streets, abusing alcohol and drugs and eventually moving abroad to escape his life in New Zealand.
But he couldn’t quite escape Booth, who visited him in Australia, even though there was no abuse at the time.
“It’s been the worst 20 years of my life,” the man said. “Unfortunately I have continued with my drug and alcohol abuse in Australia. I have continued to hang out with not the best people…
“I’ve done things and do things I’m not proud of.”
The man told how his young family would beg him not to drink alcohol, as well as about relationship problems he had had.
It was not easy to come forward to complain about the abuse he has endured.
“I’m sick of Jim taking my freedom away. He has taken my innocence from me.’
Attorney Peter Foster spoke of Booth’s regret and grief for what he had done.
“He doesn’t make excuses and is genuinely sorry.”
Foster said Booth hoped to apologize personally to the victims.
Judge Lance Rowe said Booth cared for all the victims — sprinkling the first three with alcohol before insulting them, and giving the later victim money and gifts.
“Your victims tell a very sad story that this court often hears, of years of guilt and shame — feelings that are completely undeserved for victims, but they feel it anyway,” Judge Rowe told Booth.
The judge granted time from Booth’s sentence for his admission of guilt, regrets, age and ill health.
“I think you sincerely and sensibly regret the damage you have done to your young victims,” Judge Rowe told Booth.
The court heard that one of his ailments is a malignant tumor that was recently removed, arthritis and kidney failure.
Booth will be eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence.