Prisoner escaped to attend a funeral

Press, 14 March 1987, Page 4

Prisoner escaped to attend a funeral

A funeral led to the escape and subsequent arrest of a Paparua Prison inmate, Judge Hattaway was told in the District Court yesterday. Anaru Matthews, aged 25, escaped to attend the funeral of a friend.

He was later arrested, said the duty solicitor, Mr Craig Ruane.

Matthews had not offended while at large for almost three days, he said.

Detective-Sergeant Rod Bruce said the defendant ran off through a plantation of trees at lunchtime on Monday. He had been with a work party.

An intensive search failed to find him. On March 12 Matthews was found in the rear of a parked car in Hendersons Road, said Sergeant Bruce.

Judge Hattaway sentenced Matthews to four months in prison.

This is to be cumulative on a two-year and six months term imposed in the High Court last December. SUPERVISION Supervision for 12 months was the sentence given to an 18-year-old mother of two earlier convicted of committing incest with her half-brother. Although the offence was serious the Judge said he believed, in view of her background, that she was in need of assistance which could be provided by the probation service. The woman committed the offence between February 11 and 17. The half-brother, who was dealt with earlier, was given a six-month deferred sentence. He was also ordered to be deported back to The Netherlands.

The woman, in explanation to the police, said she and her half-brother, who

although a blood relation was virtually a stranger to her, were in love. Mr J. S. Halls represented the defendant. Assault charge A psychiatric report is to be obtained on a youth charged that while armed with a knife he assaulted a woman with intent to rob her. Nigel Robert Monson, aged 17, unemployed, is also charged with being found in possession of a knife without lawful authority, or reasonable excuse, in B.J.’s restaurant. The police said both offences happened yesterday.

Mr P. Shamy, a duty solicitor, in seeking a remand to March 20, also asked for a psychiatric examination of the defendant.

The Judge remanded Monson to Sunnyside Hospital for a week.