In the matter of the Corrections Act 1997
and
In the matter of an application for parole by Ricky Aaron Graham
18 December 2002
CHAIRMAN: Mr Graham, you’re going to be released to parole. I’m obliged by the Corrections Act to give some reasons for that decision and they are as follows. You were previously released to parole in September 1989; at that stage you were serving a sentence of some eight years imprisonment that had been imposed by His Honour, Mr Justice Crawford, in relation to a serious series of criminal acts that had occurred in Launceston in October 1995. The circumstances of that are well enough known and a matter of public record and I don’t propose to go into it.
Your parole was revoked by order of the Board on the 23rd of October 2000. That occurred consequent to you being charged with some offences of burglary and stealing. You were ultimately convicted, at least of some of that, and on the 30th March, 2001 sentenced by His Honour, Mr Justice Underwood, to a period of 18 months imprisonment to commence at the expiration of any sentence you were then serving.
You are now eligible to be released on parole and, accordingly, the application’s considered on that basis.
We’ve taken into account a supplementary pre-parole report that’s been provided to us by your long-time probation and parole officer, Mr Heathcote. He is, it is fair to say, modestly optimistically about your future and that’s a matter that we think appropriate to have regard to. We’ve had regard to your prison and the circumstances that you’re currently serving your sentence of imprisonment in relation to. They’re matters that we take into account. We take into account your psychiatric and psychological history as it appears from a series of reports that have been tended to the Board from the Department of Health and Human Services. Summarizing those reports it’s fair to say that currently no issue exists that ought concern the Board in relation to your psychiatric or psychological health.
We don’t overlook your history and your antecedence. We take into account some information that we’ve received from the Tasmanian Police in relation to threats that it is alleged that you have made against police officers generally, and that you mean to bring into effect when you are released from prison. We’ve heard your explanation in relation to that and there is an element of plausibility about it that, for today’s purposes, we accept.
Taking all other appropriate matters into account the Board’s view is that it’s appropriate that you be released on parole. You will be released on Monday, 23rd December, 2002 and you will remain on parole until the end...until your longest release date, which will be included within the parole order. Now I don’t propose to go through the terms of your parole, you’re familiar with them, you’ve had parole in the past and they will be no different to the terms and conditions that you’ve previously enjoyed and that’s all I need to say to you at this stage.
