September 16, 2011

Robber escaped from caregivers to avoid 'bossing'

By Anne Clarkson at the Rangiora Court House

A 22-year-old who admitted a series of knifepoint robberies and then escaped three times from mental health care, will go into residential care at the Richmond Fellowship.

The fellowship has agreed to handle the care for 22-year-old Brett Allan King, with programmes to manage his community risk, and support changes in his behaviour.

King is in care for a series of knife-point incidents involving Asian victims in the Upper Riccarton area in May 2010.

He made threats and demanded money from them, and also robbed an unknown person of a wallet while armed with a knife. He threatened three customers with a knife and robbed one of them of his wallet. No-one was hurt in the incidents.

Yesterday he was being sentenced in the Christchurch District Court held in the Rangiora Court House for three charges of escaping from custody.

King was held at Hillmorton Hospital after his sentencing on the robbery charges, but he escaped while at the gymnasium on site. He was found three hours later.

Then while being escorted to an appointment away from the hospital he escaped again, and was returned after three hours.

The next day he smashed a window, climbed out, and then scrambled under the security fence. He was found four hours later in Linwood.

When he was asked why he had escaped, he said he did not like the ?bossing? going on at the hospital and the rules he had to obey. He also said he escaped because he wanted a smoke and a drink.

Judge Alistair Garland said King?s sentencing needed to be mindful that the level of blameworthiness was reduced because of his mental difficulties.

But the risks to community safety needed to be addressed, with a programme to develop social and goal-directed behaviour, he said.

He sentenced King to 50 hours managed community work, a fine of $200, and to appear for sentence if called upon for 12 months.

He warned King that if he behaved in this way again he could be brought back before the court and the outcome may be a term in prison.