Man who tried to drag Dunedin woman into van for sex still high-risk: parole denied

Joseph Warren Lepper at the High Court in 2014. Photo / ODT

A man who tried to drag a Dunedin woman into a van for sex is still considered a high-risk sex offender.

Joseph Warren Lepper is serving a term of preventive detention - an indefinite period of imprisonment reserved for those considered the country's most dangerous offenders.

Earlier this year, the prisoner challenged that sentence before the Court of Appeal and was knocked back.

In a recent appearance before the Parole Board he was again denied, but this time he accepted the outcome.

Panel convener and board chairman Sir Ron Young said Lepper acknowledged he needed to complete various programmes before he could be safely released.

A psychologist classed him as at high risk of further sex offending.

On October 19, 2013, he and Zane Alexander McVeigh drove from Christchurch to Dunedin and attempted to abduct a 22-year-old student, who was walking down Vogel St.

As they drove slowly past the woman, Lepper told his co-defendant: ''I'm going to do that bitch.''

The woman fought off the men until nearby residents came to her aid but she was left bruised and missing handfuls of hair.

The incident occurred 10 months after Lepper had been released from prison, where he had been serving a 10-year stint for rape.

Even before that, there was a ''long history of offending'', Sir Ron said.

Lepper was given a psychological diagnosis in 2009 and said he was having ''hallucinations and other concerning beliefs'', which were unaffected by his medication before the attempted abduction.

His ''disruptive conduct'' behind bars had resulted in him being transferred from Invercargill Prison to the Otago Corrections Facility but Sir Ron said there had been major improvements in his attitude recently.

Lepper was motivated to do the adult sex offender treatment programme but rejected Corrections' plan to put him through the drug treatment programme.

Lepper will next be seen by the Parole Board in October 2020.