WELLINGTON: One more drug hawker managed to escapes the country by taking advantage of prison release. Kris Willoughby served less than two years being a drug hawker and then was released from Mt Eden Corrections Facility7 in late September.
He legally obtained a passport and flew to Australia late last month. All offenders are subject to a form of release conditions when they are released from prison.
“Travelling to Australia breached this offender’s release conditions and as a result police have issued a warrant to arrest,” Corrections chief executive Ray Smith said.
“The department takes breaches of release conditions very seriously and will be including this case in the current review in addition to the enforcement action already taken.”
The incident comes to light just days after convicted murderer and paedophile Phillip Smith was arrested in Brazil after fleeing New Zealand while on temporary release from Waikato’s Spring Hill prison.
The 40-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 for murdering the father of a Carterton boy he sexually abused.