A man on home detention beat the mentally unstable woman he was placed with and racked up debts in her name before moving on to another house to continue his sentence, Parliament was told yesterday.
New Zealand First MP Ron Mark said the woman's parents had objected to the man's placement in their daughter's home and had written to the parole board about it. He said police had also expressed concerns about the placement.
The latest revelation follows a report that Joseph Herbert absconded when he was released to apply for home detention after being sentenced to nine months' jail for a bag-snatch robbery.
Herbert was freed without any conditions being imposed, and police believed he was still being hidden by criminal associates.
In Parliament, Mr Mark said a home detention guardian was physically hurt by her charge, but the man was allowed to remain on home detention. The man also got the woman into serious debt, including getting her to buy him a $23,000 car.
He asked Justice Minister Phil Goff what had been done about the case.
"What has he done on this issue to tidy up a nonsense where a man can name a woman as his guardian ... and then go about beating her, abusing her?"
Mr Goff said he did not know the details of the case but said the sentencing judge had to ensure legal criteria about suitability were met before allowing home detention.
The Parole Board also had to meet criteria which included not putting anyone at risk.
The letter sent to the Parole Board and forwarded to Corrections Minister Margaret Wilson and National MP Lynda Scott, said the parents had told the board their daughter was mentally unstable and the pair had met in a mental institution.
"There was no way she should have been made responsible for looking after a prisoner on home detention," the letter said.
The parents said the convict had a history of preying on vulnerable women.
"And yet in spite of all the negative evidence against the application being granted, amazingly the Parole Board went ahead and granted the application anyway," the letter said.
The parents alleged while the man lived with their daughter he charged $3000 on her phone account, had her buy him a $23,000 car, sold her computer and used the proceeds.
The parents contacted the Nelson probation service but were told their job was to manage the convict and not deal with the woman.
The man eventually left the woman and moved in with another woman. He allegedly left her to pay $4000 moving costs.
The parents said their daughter, admitted to Auckland Hospital in a state of mental distress, had bruises caused by the man.
Mr Goff said the case would be looked into. He told the House less than 1 per cent of home detainees had had action taken against them due to reoffending while serving their sentence.
He said he would give the Sentencing Act, which came into effect on July 1, 2002, a year before considering changing it.
- NZPA
Man beat his home detention guardian
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