Jorgensen back in jail

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 1

Jorgensen back in jail

Ronald Jorgensen is back ■in jail, 31 days after he was released on life parole. Jorgensen, aged 49, was. arrested in Kaikoura yesterday. He will appear in the District Court in,. Christchurch this morning, on an assault charge. .

Detective Senior-Sergeant J. V. Dwight, of the Christchurch C;I.B. said that the alleged assault-had been on a male. He declined to say when it had occurred, or how serious an assault charge Jorgensen would-face. Jorgensen would be in police custody until the court appearance, he said. Jorgensen, one of two men sentenced to life imprisonment for the machine-gun murders in Bassett Road, Remuera, Auckland, 19 years ago, had been released from Paparua Prison on May 3. The terms of his parole demanded that: he’ live in Kaikoura for the rest of his life, and work as directed by hjs probation officer.. Jorgensen.started his life sentence for .murder in 1964. He was released on life parole in November, 1974. Two years later he was convicted of dryg dealing and was recalled to Paparua Prison, where he has spent the last s‘/ 2 years.

Jorgensen tried, several times to gain parole but the Cabinet-refused his requests. ■ Since his widely-publicised release last month he has lived in Kaikoura with his father, .who is 83. Jorgensen told a television interviewer when he was released from prison that he would vow on his mother’s grave never to get into trouble again. He said he “would play Russian roulette with a full chamber rather than go back into prison.” Jorgensen was recalled to prison from life parole by the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) yesterday afternoon, after the arrest. Mr McLay said that his action was not in any way pre-judging the outcome of the charge or charges which Jorgensen was to face. That was a matter entirely for the Court. ■ . . However, when announcing Jorgensen’s release on April 8, 1982, he had said that the terms and conditions of the life parole would be very strict, would be stringently enforced, and any breach would almost certainly result in Jorgensen’s being recalled to prison to continue serving his life sentence.