Gay Auckland restaurateur, Philip Sturm has been sentenced to nine years in prison, after being retried for stupefying and sexually violating young men. The sentence was handed down today in Auckland's High Court, Judge Williams calling the offending “deplorable” and “opportunistic”. The prosecution had requested a 14-year term but the defence argued Sturm was of good character and should only get nine or ten years. At the sentencing, victims' families spoke of the terrible impact of Sturm's crimes. Sturm's lawyer Paul Davison said it had been a long road for Sturm's family. The Court of Appeal had previously quashed a conviction by the High Court, saying the judge had misdirected the jury on how it should deal with the evidence. Sturm has now been charged with five counts of sexual violation and one of stupefying involving three of the four complainants. The Crown claimed that Sturm lured young men back to his downtown office, using ecstasy and speed to subdue his victims. Sturm maintains the four young men were all willing and active participants. He has already served 18 months of his 9-year sentence. Ref: One News, RNZ (d)