One of three Oakley escapers still at large

Press, 7 January 1983, Page 4

One of three Oakley escapers still at large

PA Auckland One of three escapers from Oakley Hospital still remained at large last evening. Paul Taite Heremaia. aged 20. who was in the psychiatric hospital on remand awaiting trial on a charge of rape, was last seen in Mount Roskill about 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Four men appeared in the District Court at Auckland yesterday on charges relating to the escape from Oakley.

Stanley Howard Coster, aged 23. a sickness beneficiary. and Ra Albert O’Dowd. aged 29. a scrubcutter. pleaded guilty to escaping from prison custody on Tuesday morning. Coster had been serving a one-year sentence in Mount Eden Prison for robbery and O’Dowd a sentence of 7 1/ 2 years in Paremorcmo Prison for rape.

Both had been transferred to Oakley Hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Sergeant T. Horne told the Court that the two had escaped from a ward at 9.10

p.m. on Tuesday. When apprehended. Coster told the police he had escaped because he wanted to go back t 0 . t O’Dowd had said he had taken no part in the assault on a male nurse and had surrendered for that reason, said Sergeant Horne. Both men were remanded in custody to January 13 for probation and psychiatric reports and sentence. Another Oakley patient. Allan Nelson Wati. aged 20. unemploved. pleaded guilty to helping Coster. O’Dowd, and Heremaia to escape. Wati admitted assaulting a male nurse. Gilbert Nelson Semmens. to facilitate the escape but pleaded not guilty to a third charge of assault-

ing a second male nurse. Sergeant Horne told the Court that Wati had admitted clubbing Mr Semmens over the head with a piece of wood at the time of the escape, enabling the trio to flee. Wati was caught before he could join them. He was remanded to January 13 for probation report and sentence on the two charges to which he had pleaded guilty.

Allan John Dodds, aged 25. a beneficiary, was charged with receiving and assisting Coster to help him avoid arrest. Dodds entered no plea and elected trial by jury. He was remanded on bail of $750, with similar surety, to February 25. for the taking of depositions.