Source: Radio New Zealand
John Tekuru appeared in the Manukau District Court on Thursday. (File photo) RNZ / Liu Chen
A man who was jailed for trying to snatch a toddler with intent to sexually abuse her, went to a playground just two days after his release, in breach of his conditions.
John Tekuru was sent to prison for the attempted abduction and released on 10 March.
But a week later, on 17 March, he was back in custody accused of breaching his release conditions.
At the Manukau District Court on Thursday, he pleaded guilty to breaching his conditions as details of the breach were laid out.
“The brief facts are that you had been sentenced to two years imprisonment in Rotorua District Court in relation to a charge of abduction for sex with a girl under 12,” Judge Jonathan Moses said.
“On 10 March this year you were fully inducted into your release conditions at which you confirmed you understood those conditions and the consequence if you didn’t comply,” he said.
Judge Moses said Tekuru was subject to electronic monitoring and had a special condition he not loiter or enter a place where people under 16 are unless approved.
These included the likes of schools, early childhood centres, parks, libraries and churches.
Judge Moses said two days after his release, electronic monitoring information placed Tekuru in a playground.
He was questioned about this and issued with a written warning.
Judge Moses said other electronic monitoring information on 14 March, confirmed Tekuru had gone into the grounds of a school, which had an early childcare centre sharing an access way.
“You had therefore breached your conditions of release in that you were in the vicinity of a school or early childcare centre,” he said.
“You admitted walking past those facilities but said you were only walking within your local area,” the judge said.
Tekuru, through his lawyer, entered a guilty plea.
Judge Moses said he took Tekuru’s age, 20, and his one prior conviction into consideration.
“What I’m going to do today is to convict you and sentence you to imprisonment for a period of one month taking your guilty plea and those other features into account,” he said.
Tekuru has already been in custody since 17 March.
No extra conditions were imposed because Tekuru was still subject to his earlier ones and he will be moved to an address organised by Corrections.
At one point in the hearing, his lawyer apologised to the judge for his demeanour.
“He does have an awkward smile when these things are concerned but he does accept, sir, that he needs to comply with his release conditions otherwise he’s going to find himself in a cycle of being in custody,” Gaye Gurnick said.
“Ultimately, he’s done the punitive sanction,” she said.
Gurnick said told the judge she had “laboured a number of times” and emphasised with Tekuru the need to comply with his release conditions.
Tekuru’s case earlier sparked concern from the Sensible Sentencing Trust, which has called for him to face stricter monitoring.
He was released from jail under a provision that an offender be let out early if their sentence is two years or less.
The Trust said he served 12 months.
It has written to the Department of Corrections, it says in a rare action, urging it to consider an Extended Supervision Order (ESO), or Public Protection order (PPO).
It earlier told RNZ’s Checkpoint that Tekuru was “bound to offend again”.
Corrections earlier said no application had been made for an ESO or PPO but it took extremely seriously how offenders are managed in the community.
It said only a very small number of people are likely to have a Public Protection Order.
The Department said Tekuru was subject to multiple special conditions when he was released in March, including:
- Electronic monitoring (GPS)
- Residence at an approved address
- No contact with children under 16 unless supervised by an “Approved Informed Adult” and authorised in writing
- No entering areas where children are likely to be present (e.g., playgrounds, schools) without written approval
- No contact with the victim
- Mandatory psychological assessment and treatment
- Mandatory alcohol and drug treatment
- No use of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs
- Prohibition on entering Rotorua without written approval
Extended Supervision Orders, imposed by the courts, allow monitoring for up to a decade after an offender is let out of jail
Corrections makes an application for one, and they are for people convicted of a sexual or violent offence who are assessed as having a real risk of further offending.
A Public Protection Order allows detention of “very high risk individuals” at a secure facility within a prison.
They must meet several set criteria including an intense urge to enact particular offending, and very poor self regulation.
Where to get help for sexual violence:
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand