A serial family and home violence offender who sparked a manhunt when he minimize off his ankle monitor has obtained a slap on the wrist regardless of his three-days on the lam happening simply months after he was launched on parole.
Steven Wade Dodd, who was jailed in January for a string of significant crimes, was launched from jail to residence detention on July 4.
The choice to launch him got here simply months after a earlier try at parole, which was rejected by the Prisoners Assessment Board.
In its preliminary determination in April, the board said that the 50-year-old’s “unmet therapy wants”, which arose from his file of violence with intimate companions and drug use, meant he posed an unacceptable threat to the group “with out intensive intervention”.
However 12 weeks later that decision was reversed by the board after Dodd dedicated to attending one other rehab program whereas in jail, and he was launched on parole topic to digital monitoring on July 4.
In Auckland Magistrates Court on Friday, defence lawyer Daniel de Lange stated Dodd had attended a home violence rehab facility over the subsequent two months, and had made “fairly a bit” of progress throughout his time there.
Nevertheless, on September 4 — midway by his four-month parole interval — he stated Dodd was spoken to in a manner “he wasn’t pleased with” whereas on the facility, and minimize off his ankle bracelet.
“What occurred was out of frustration,” Mr de Lange stated.
The court was instructed that about 6.30pm that day, Dodd purposesfully broken the gadget’s transmitter so as to have the ability to take away the monitor from his ankle, packed his belongings in a suitcase, and left.
His departure immediately breached his strict parole circumstances.
An arrest warrant was issued a short while later, however officers had been unable to find Dodd for 3 days.
The manhunt got here at a time of heightened group tensions after a sequence of horror home violence assaults in opposition to ladies by their male companions.
He was finally arrested on Stirling Road in Auckland about noon on September 7.
Mr de Lange identified that due to the breach, Dodd had been taken again to Acacia Jail, the place he’ll stay for the subsequent two months till he completes his time period of imprisonment.
In November 2022, Dodd had been jailed for a yr on six counts of breaching a household violence restraining order and one rely every of aggravated assault and customary assault in circumstances of aggravation.
Mr de Lange stated given Dodd was required to serve out the remainder of his sentence, a reasonable fantastic was an acceptable penalty for reducing off his electrical ankle bracelet.
“He’ll be doing full time,” he instructed Justice of the Peace Rosemarie Myers.
He additionally identified that Dodd had made “some progress while on parole”, had not dedicated every other offences and had work lined up as a plasterer with a former colleague for when he was launched.
Ms Myers agreed a monetary penalty was appropriated and fined Dodd $600.
She additionally ordered he pay $84.15 in damages for the ankle monitor.
“I can perceive that typically it will get a bit irritating when it’s important to keep at sure locations … but it surely’s clear that it’s essential get some therapy (in relation to household violence offences),” she stated whereas sentencing Dodd on Friday.
Final yr Dodd was declared a serial household violence offender. He has additionally beforehand accomplished a household violence prevention program, which the Prisoners Assessment Board in April famous had did not cease him performing in an “abusive and violent method” to his companions.
“Given your in depth felony historical past which demonstrates your use of violence in opposition to intimate companions in addition to involvement within the drug tradition, the board considers that with out intensive intervention, you’re an unacceptable threat to the security of the group,” the Board said on the time.
The reversal to that call in July, obtained by The West Australian, defined that due to Dodd’s participation the “unacceptable threat” he’d posed to the group three months earlier was now an “acceptable” one. Household assist and employment prospects had been additionally cited as causes for his launch.
“You (have) made a dedication to attend the Respiration House residential rehabilitation program to handle your offending behaviour,” the report said.
