A former police officer left paralysed when a repeat offender stabbed him is applauding the Government's plan to make it possible to hold high-risk criminals in prison for longer than their sentences.
The Government has proposed a policy that would allow the High Court to issue "civil detention'' orders to the worst sexual and violent offenders deemed to be at imminent risk of re-offending.
Nigel Hendrikse was left paralysed after John Gillies, who had 106 prior convictions, stabbed him with a screwdriver 19 years ago.
"He doesn't care about anyone else, he just wants to carry on doing what he wants to do. He doesn't want to follow any instructions and I think he's had so many chances it's laughable,'' Mr Hendrikse told Radio New Zealand.
"He's got 106 convictions. People say a good criminal might only get caught 5 percent of the time so if he's a good criminal, a clever criminal, that means he's committed maybe 2000 offences so we're sick of him.''
