A prominent Dunedin music figure who was jailed for paying a 15-year-old girl for sex has filed an appeal. Michael David McLeod appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week where he was sentenced to two years, three months’ imprisonment after admitting a charge under the Prostitution Reform Act and a raft of drug charges. The court yesterday confirmed the defendant had lodged an appeal and his case would be called in the High Court at Christchurch this week. McLeod gained prominence running live-music venue the Captain Cook Hotel, later changing its name to Dive, and was a musician in various Dunedin bands. McLeod met his young victim by perusing an online classifieds website. He replied to an ad purporting to be an 18-year-old woman offering sexual services, which was actually the 15-year-old victim. Paid teen $300 Court documents said he paid the teen $300 for their first liaison, which took place near a paintball park near Green Island. There was another meeting just days later. McLeod picked up the teen, gave her a vape then drove her to his bar where he provided her with vodka and paid her $500 for intimacy on a couch in the back room. On the third occasion, he plied the victim with methamphetamine. Over the following five months McLeod continued to pay the girl for sex and gave her drugs when they met. At some point the defendant came to believe she was 16 but “did not take any other steps to independently verify her age”, the court heard. Counsel Sarah Saunderson-Warner said McLeod had turned to meth and sex workers as he struggled to cope with his personal demons. She stressed he had undertaken significant rehabilitation since being charged, was genuinely remorseful and had been sober for 22 months. Ms Saunderson-Warner argued, with that background, McLeod should be sentenced to home detention. To get to that point, Judge David Robinson first had to reach a final sentence under two years. Such an outcome was not warranted, he said. rob.kidd@odt.co.nz
