January 15, 2013

Homeless Canadian faces possible deportation

By David Clarkson

A homeless Canadian man now faces the prospect of deportation at the end of any sentence imposed for allegedly squatting in abandoned buildings.

Thirty-one-year-old David William Dakota Denton insisted on arguing his own case at his appearance in the Christchurch District Court last week, but allowed a duty solicitor ? Carol Morgan ? to speak for him when the case was called before Judge Jane Farish today.

He was surprised last week when bail was refused and he was remanded in custody, and he is not able to reapply. He has no bail address anyway.

And now Miss Morgan and police prosecutor David Rusbatch have confirmed that the Immigration Department is about to serve him with a 28-day warrant of commitment which will allow them to hold him pending deportation.

He has already had a suspended sentence imposed for being unlawfully in a building, and now he has been arrested for being unlawfully in a yard, and later unlawfully in two buildings ? a building in Avonside and the Linwood Bowling Club.

Denton, an unemployed man from Vancouver, had nothing to say at today?s appearance when Judge Farish remanded him in custody for a week for the warrant to be served and for a legal aid lawyer to be assigned.

When he was being remanded in custody last week, he made some comments about the police and the justice system being ?a bunch of liars?.

He is likely to be deported at the end of whatever sentence is imposed.