Youth Court’s ‘most challenging’ offender: Judge reveals ‘critical missed opportunities’ to stop him

Paddy* is one of New Zealand’s worst youth offenders, racking up more than 30 offences before he turned 18 – and that’s just for what he was caught doing.

From his mid-teens, Paddy was effectively an unstoppable crime wave and a senior Youth Court judge described him as “one of the most challenging young people this jurisdiction has ever had to deal with”.

“He has left a trail of destruction behind him for so many victims, probably many more than are apparent from his charges,” she said.

In 2024 – four years after making the request – the Herald was granted access to Paddy’s Youth Court file, allowing his criminal history – and attempts by various authorities to keep the community safe from him – to be reported.

Paddy's grandmother reported him to the authorities when he was just 6, saying he was 'out of control' at school. Photo / 123RF

The file makes for grim reading – a judge describing his backlog of offending “painted a damning picture”.

“Explosive violence”, no remorse, total disregard for any other person – but also “critical missed opportunities whilst in state care” that could have changed his trajectory.

In the first two years of his life, Paddy was “involved in an endless cycle of exposure to drugs and alcohol, and family violence inevitably leading to [his father’s] imprisonment and thereafter a pattern that he has not been able to break”.

His family had “chronic issues” and his mother was also in and out of jail.

Paddy’s father was deported when he was 3. He has not seen him since.

Before he turned seven, Oranga Tamariki had received five reports from people concerned about Paddy and a further three reports from police.

“The warning signs were there from a very early age ... the maternal grandmother called the police when Paddy was just 6, expressing concern that his behaviour ‘was escalating and was out of control at school’,” said the judge who presided over Paddy’s last Youth Court proceedings.

“Frankly, from that point, the situation went from bad to worse. On my assessment, Oranga Tamariki should have sought orders from the Family Court in relation to Paddy years before it did.”

Orders were not sought until Paddy was almost 12. An interim custody order was granted putting him into OT care but that was “quickly” replaced with a more rigorous order that remained until he was 18.

In his teens, Paddy was diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and Conduct Disorder – which causes people to act aggressively and antisocially and usually without any remorse or guilt.

Until 2018, Paddy had little Youth Court history. But he was already considered by many – according to a source – as “one of the worst youth offenders in the country”.

“He’s still there going hard ... and when he kills someone there will need to be a massive enquiry as to why he’s allowed on the streets,” the source said.

In May 2018, he was facing a raft of serious charges- aggravated robbery, car theft, aggravated wounding, kidnapping and assault with intent to rob.

The case did not proceed as he was deemed mentally unfit.

In July, while living in a secure facility, he was charged with assault with intent to injure and theft and remanded on bail.

Over the next 12 months – while on bail or after escaping or absconding from custody – he committed 31 further offences.

During that time, Paddy was placed in a mental health ward by court order in a bid to stop and help him.

But someone reviewed his case and deemed he “no longer meet the definition of intellectual disability”, resulting in the order being discharged and Paddy being bailed yet again.

In July 2021, Paddy admitted to his litany of offending. On 28 of the charges the Youth Court judge “admonished” him – meaning he was “firmly reprimanded”.

She then convicted him on the three remaining charges – aggravated robbery and two of endangering transport – and transferred them to the District Court for sentencing.

It had been “quite an exercise to wade through” details of his crimes but she said it was clear that Paddy had spent a “disproportionately severe” time in custody because of his neuro-disabilities.

Further, she believed he was the victim of mismanagement” by OT.

Paddy had moved “from one state institution to another” since he was 12 and his social worker estimated that during a total of 2285 days, he spent 1341 in custody.

“That equates to over six years; a third of his whole lifetime,” the judge said.

“There is no escaping the fact that he is institutionalised, and about to become fully immersed in the adult criminal justice system.

“Strategies employed in his care which show no regard for his neurodisabilities … has contributed in part to his offending."

Paddy is infamous for escaping secure youth residences. Photo / Simon Baker

A clinical psychologist told the court that Paddy had grown up without a sense of cultural identity or any “psychological safety”.

“Rather, his identity was shaped around violence, parental neglect and substance use,” she said.

“His current sense of identity is promoted by his recidivism and antisocial behaviour.”

From birth, Paddy had been forced to respond to “numerous fearful situations”.

“It is probable that adults in his environment were unable to respond appropriately to Paddy’s emotional needs; as a result, he learnt to either fight ... or flight when it came to frustrating and stressful situations.”

AFASD expert “very familiar” with Paddy’s “complex” situation said she had made “specific recommendations” to OT about his care over the years but they had been “disregarded”.

“In my opinion, a failure to heed or put into effect any of this advice has created the high risk that Paddy poses now to the community.

“Individuals with FASD are not inherently dangerous, they are disabled. However, if their condition is not managed and the environment is wrong over many years – as it has now been for Paddy – emotional and behavioural dysregulation will escalate.”

She said FASD was a lifelong condition but it could be well managed with the right care.

“Which has not been provided [to Paddy] to date.”

Paddy is described as one of the worst youth offenders in New Zealand. Photo / File

She recommended OT’s chief executive to get “personally and actively involved” and “directly manage” Paddy – until he was 25.

“I have worked with children in care with complex disability needs for the past 20 years and this is the only time that I have been so concerned about a young person’s management that I have made this recommendation,” she said.

The judge accepted the doctor’s “very critical” opinion of OT.

“Unless and until his neuro-disabilities are appropriately managed he will remain a high risk to himself and to other people, particularly if the expert advice continues to be ignored,” she said.

Paddy spent a third of his life in state care and a judge said he was mis-managed. Photo / File

The judge said Paddy had been “very challenging” in care and he was well known for his propensity for “explosive” violence.

“I am satisfied there is a direct link between that and the cultural and systemic deprivation you have endured,” she said.

Until the hearing, Paddy had “expressed very little remorse” for any of his behaviour.

He wrote the judge a letter which she accepted as “a genuine attempt” and indicated at least some level of insight into his offending.

“If ever there was a crucial turning point in Paddy’s life it is now,” she said.

In the letter, Paddy said being in custody “sucks”.

“I really hate it in here. I am truly really sorry. Like straight up,” he wrote.

“If you could forgive me for what I did and if there is anything I can do to make things right, I’m willing to do it.

Paddy has been involved in a number of robberies, burglaries and at least one ram raid. Photo / File

In September 2020, Paddy appeared before the same judge in the District Court for sentencing on his remaining charges.

She sentenced the then-18-year-old to two years and 11 months in prison – after giving him a 65% discount to reflect factors including his guilty pleas, youth, “severe mental impairment” and the “cultural and systemic deprivation” he had suffered – including his time in state care.

“I have lost count of the number of times I have dealt with you,” she said.

“You have the power to change. Do the best that you can every day in every way.

“I hope to never see you again in the dock.”

Paddy was released on parole in April 2021 but recalled three months later after being caught using meth and associating with gang members.

He was also facing new charges – trying to steal a car, reckless driving, endangering transport, interfering with a vehicle, making demands to seal, and failing to stop for police.

Despite a judge's best efforts, Paddy has continued to offend and is now facing a raft of charges in the District Court.

Paddy had also absconded from his approved address and removed his electronically monitored ankle bracelet.

The Parole Board was told “he has to be regarded as an undue risk to the safety of the community”.

Paddy was sent back to prison until his sentence end date in September.

The board scheduled a hearing for August to impose final release conditions. Not doing so meant Paddy’s release would not have any rules or monitoring.

For the first six months of his release, Paddy had a nighttime curfew and electronic monitoring.

He had to attend any recommended psychological assessments and programmes and he was only to live at his approved address.

The board banned him from driving, using or possessing illicit drugs or alcohol, associating with known co-offenders or gang members and affiliates.

After his release, Paddy continued to offend. Frequently.

He is currently facing charges in two different District Courts including breaching home detention conditions, escaping custody, assaulting police, common assault and threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm.

• Paddy is not this offender’s real name. Under New Zealand law anyone who appears in the Youth Court is afforded automatic and permanent name suppression. Accordingly, anything that may identify Paddy cannot be published including locations of his offending and courts, where he was held in custody, and specifics about his family and culture.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz