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Disgraced former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple has appealed the jail sentence handed down to him in December after he admitted a raft of sex offences against girls and women over a period of more than 20 years.

His lawyer said the sentence was “manifestly excessive” and has asked a High Court judge to quash the prison term and replace it with home detention.

But the Crown says the sentence should stand – especially given Temple’s position and standing in the Gloriavale community at the time of his offending.

In December, the 85-year-old was sentenced in the Greymouth District Court to more than two years in prison for the offences.

Howard Temple in court in December at his sentencing for decades of sex abuse. Photo / Joe Allison

Judge Raoul Neave said the offending would have been “excruciating” for the victims.

Defence lawyer Michael Vesty sought a sentence of home detention, saying Temple was an elderly man “of diminishing physical and cognitive health”.

But Judge Neave ruled a 26-month stint in prison was the most appropriate outcome.

He agreed Temple appeared to have “an utter lack of awareness” of the effects of his behaviour on his victims.

“The victims were young people who resided in that community, essentially under your protection… and had no way of escape,” he said.

“They were children. And you were old enough to be their grandfather or even great-grandfather ... [there was] an utter lack of concern for the interests of those whom you were there to protect, constantly taking advantage of the situation that presented itself.”

Soon after sentencing, Vesty confirmed an appeal had been lodged.

As a result, Temple had been released on bail.

His appeal was heard today in the High Court at Christchurch by Justice Owen Paulsen.

Gloriavale Christian Community located at Haupiri on the West Coast of the South Island. Photo / George Heard

Temple did not have to appear in court in person for the hearing.

But he and some of the victims attended via a remote access link.

“The outcome sought by Mr Temple is… to quash the sentence of two years and two months’ imprisonment imposed and… reduced to a point where home detention can be considered, which in counsel’s submission is the least restrictive outcome and meets all of the aims and objectives of sentencing,” Vesty told the court.

He described Temple’s sentence as “manifestly excessive” and said Judge Neave erred in calculating the totality of the charges, resulting in “an overall starting point which was too high”.

He also submitted that Judge Neave did not give enough of a discount for Temple’s remorse and health.

“His Honour didn’t really delve deep enough into factors personal to the appellant... and the value of his remorse and insight,” Vesty said.

“And he didn’t pay enough attention to expert evidence of the doctor commissioned prior to sentencing to meet and assess Mr Temple and make observations about sentencing levels and outcomes.”

He said the fact Temple had lived in an isolated community and hadn’t experienced “the advantages of the outside world”, combined with his cognitive decline, meant his capability to demonstrate remorse and insight was different from other offenders.

“He hasn’t had the same exposure to day-to-day life and norms as others in the community might – but that’s not to say he’s not capable of showing remorse.

“His Honour, in expecting more of Mr Temple... has failed to take into account those personal factors.”

Vesty said the final ground of appeal was that the judge did not give enough of a discount for the time Temple spent on bail – time he spent “cut off from his community” as he was forced to live away from Gloriavale.

He said the discount Judge Neave gave for that was “manifestly inadequate”.

Defence lawyer Michael Vesty. Photo / Supplied

Crown prosecutor Aaron Harvey said it was important the court remembered Temple was not just an old man convicted of sex offending.

“He was someone who was a leader in the community, a community with particular values and hierarchies,” he said.

“And this also highlighted the vulnerability inherent of the victims of this case… there was greater responsibility on the leadership in that community to look after its members.

“And obviously the guilty pleas entered by [Temple] was an acknowledgment that he had… taken advantage of these vulnerable people.”

Harvey said Judge Neave’s sentencing decision was appropriate and right.

He said it was “reached in consideration of both the purposes and principles… of the Sentencing Act”.

“A non-custodial sentence would inadequately reflect both the scale and time period over which it occurred… the nature of the offending… by people who are leaders of their community,” he told the court.

Justice Paulsen has reserved his decision.

Temple’s litany of offending

The women described Temple taking advantage of the domestic duties they performed to touch, caress and grope them, such as during meal times, when they would be serving large, heavy jugs of non-alcoholic cider or hot drinks to tables of 50 or more. One woman said she was left without “any hands free to protect myself”.

The women said it was common practice to attempt to arrive early so they could be allocated to any table except Temple’s.

The only space to pour would be at his side at the head of the table, which allowed him to grab the young women around the waist, caressing them from their calves to their lower backs or grabbing them around their waists.

“He would run his hand up and down my legs, and touch my bum, or put his arm around me. He would ask me if anyone had told me they loved me today,” one woman told the court.

Howard Temple, a former US Navy engineer, arriving at Greymouth District Court. Photo / George Heard

She would usually “just shrug” because she was scared, “but if he persisted, I would often lie and said yes, someone has told me they loved me, because I didn’t want him to say he loved me”.

Another woman said this would happen while Temple was flanked by his wife and daughter and in front of the community of more than 500 people, “but no one ever spoke up or said anything, so I didn’t know that I would be allowed to. I didn’t know it was wrong, I just know it didn’t feel right to me”.

Temple was also alleged to have frequented the kitchen to “hug” the young women from behind while they were cooking or washing dishes, kissing them on their necks, touching their breasts or making lewd remarks.

Asked why she feared Temple, one woman said it was because the leaders hold all the authority in Gloriavale and “had the power to ruin your life”.

“Right from a baby, you’re taught not to speak against the leaders. As a woman, you’re supposed to be meek and quiet with downcast eyes,” she said.

“When you do speak up about abuse that has happened, it was inevitably your fault because you seduced them somehow.

“I knew nothing good would come of saying anything. I didn’t have anyone to protect me because my parents hold the leaders in ultimate authority and they would listen to the leaders over their own daughter.”

The complainants told the court there was no way to refuse Temple, nor to report his actions to anyone.

The Gloriavale compound on the West Coast. Photo / RNZ / Jean Edwards

Temple originally faced 24 charges. But on July 29, he entered guilty pleas to five charges of indecent assault, five of doing an indecent act and two of common assault.

Under the Crimes Act 1961, he was facing a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

On August 12, 2025, it was announced Temple had resigned as Gloriavale’s leader, a position known as the Overseeing Shepherd.

Temple, a former US Navy engineer, stepped into the leadership role in 2018 after the death of the community’s founder, Hopeful Christian.

Christian, whose real name was Neville Cooper, was sentenced to six years in prison in September 1994 after being found guilty by a jury of 10 counts of indecent assault between 1980 and 1984 against five young complainants.

Gloriavale founder and convicted sex offender Neville Cooper was also known as Hopeful Christian. Photo / TVNZ

He was aged between 53 and 57 at the time of the offending.

After an appeal and retrial, Christian was sentenced to five years in prison after he was found guilty of three charges of indecent assault.

Current Overseeing Shepherd Stephen Standfast has declined to speak about Temple’s offending and sentence.

Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on 

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