Fatal overdose while on home detention

By KEVIN TAYLOR political reporter

The Corrections Department admits that a man died of a suspected drug overdose this year while on home detention amid claims he had been using the dangerous drug "P".

NZ First MP Ron Mark tabled an anonymous letter in Parliament yesterday from a person claiming to have been the neighbour of a man who had dealt in P and died of an overdose while on home detention.

The undated letter alleges the man, who had told the writer he was on home detention after serving serving seven years for manslaughter and assaulting a prison warden, abused the scheme.

The letter does not reveal the man's identity other than to call him "Mat", nor where the death occurred.

Last night, Corrections confirmed there had been one case this year of an offender who died on home detention of a suspected overdose.

The department said in a statement that if the case was the one referred to in the letter, "at no time" did the offender's probation officer or psychologist see any evidence of, or receive allegations about, drug use or drug-making at the property.

The statement added that after the death, the probation officer was told that in the week prior there had been several visits from people "who may have been involved with drugs".

However, department spokeswoman Annette Oldfield refused last night to reveal key details of the death to the Herald, including what drug was involved, where the death occurred and what any post-mortem had uncovered.

She cited the dead man's privacy.

Mr Mark last night vowed to keep asking questions about the case.

"This now confirms my worst fears - that the letter is a legitimate letter and the Corrections Department are covering up their incompetence.

"I will pursue this but clearly I will be shackled by privacy law."

After tabling the letter, Mr Mark said he would write to the Ministers of Corrections, Justice and Police seeking an investigation.

But Ms Oldfield said there were no plans to investigate the incident further. She suggested the Herald contact the police for details of the post-mortem but would not say which police station the newspaper should ring.

The letter writer said the man had been able to come and go from the flat as he pleased, had moved his girlfriend in, used a "juiced up" Holden car, and was visited at all hours of the day and night by "heavily tattooed" people.

One night after a "commotion" at the flat an ambulance arrived, followed by police. At 3am a body bag was taken out.

"The next morning we were told Mat had "o deed [sic] on P," the writer said.

"Apparently both Mat and his lady friend had dumbed out on P but when she came to Mat was already dead. Both were engaged in hitting local chemists in the region and baking the stuff at the flat."

In Parliament, Mr Mark demanded to know from Justice Minister Phil Goff whether the case was an example of a home detention system and a justice system that the public could have confidence in.

Mr Goff replied he could not comment on a judge's ruling in a particular case but pointed out the punishment for pushing methamphetamine was now a lifetime sentence as it was a Class A drug.

Mr Mark said later he was concerned home detainees were not being monitored adequately.

Home detention

There are two types of home detention:

* Front-end home detention is when a judge gives an offender jailed for less than two years the chance to apply. The decision to grant home detention is for the Parole Board.

* Back-end home detention can be granted by the Parole Board and is regarded as a highly supervised and strict form of parole.

Herald Feature: The P epidemic