Parole Board Decision

In the matter of the Corrections Act 1997

and

In the matter of an Application for Parole by Neville Roy ARNOL

14 September 2007

Reason for Decision

On 13 March 1997 the Applicant was convicted of one count of attempted murder. The Applicant was sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 10 years and it was ordered that he not be eligible to be considered for parole until serving 5 years of that sentence.

On 23April 1997 the Applicant appeared in the Hobart Supreme Court. The Applicant appeared in relation to a breach of a suspended sentence. The Applicant was sentenced to a period of 18 months imprisonment and it was ordered that he not be eligible to be considered for parole until serving 9 months of that sentence.

On 6December 2000 the Applicant was convicted in the Hobart Court of Petty Sessions of one count of assaulting a public officer. He was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment to be served cumulatively with any other sentence of imprisonment imposed upon him.

On 16September 2005 the Applicant appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court and was convicted of the following offences:

(a) 2 counts of assault a police officer

(b) 1 count of threaten a police officer

(c) use abusive language to a police officer

(d) disorderly conduct

The Applicant was sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 2 months.

In relation to all of the matters for which the Applicant has been sentenced to imprisonment he was sentenced to a total period of 11 years and 3 months imprisonment.

The Applicant has previously been granted parole. On each occasion that the Applicant has been granted parole his parole has been revoked.

The Applicant’s most recent period of parole commenced on 8June 2006. During that period of time the Applicant regularly appeared before the Board to enable the Board to monitor the Applicant’s progress on parole.

On 9 March 2007 the Applicant’s parole was revoked as a result of him being charged with being in possession of a dangerous article in a public place and being under the influence of alcohol.

The Applicant indicated to the Board on 9 March 2007 that he intended pleading not guilty to those offences. The Applicant has subsequently advised the Board that the charges he faced were not proceeded with. The Board has received confirmation of that fact.

Notwithstanding the fact that the charges were not proceeded with, of concern to the Board at that time was the fact that the Applicant had been consuming alcohol in contravention of his parole condition.

The Applicant made a further application for parole on 22June 2007.

On that occasion the Applicant indicated to the Board that he now accepted that he had a problem in relation to his use of alcohol.

The Applicant indicated to the Board that he wished to seek counselling for his alcohol addiction. The Applicant’s application for parole was adjourned sine die on 22June 2007 to enable the Applicant to undertake counselling for his problematic use of alcohol. The Board made it clear to the Applicant that given that he had been granted the privilege of parole on a number of prior occasions, the onus would be upon the Applicant to satisfy the Board that he had taken steps to address his inappropriate use of alcohol.

The Applicant appeared before the Board on 14 September 2007. Between 22 June 2007 and 14September 2007 the Applicant had made arrangements to undergo counselling for his problematic use of alcohol.

The Board has received advice that the Applicant, of his own motion, made contact with Mr G Tracey of the Excel’s Prison Support Service.

The Applicant has been undergoing counselling for his abuse of alcohol. The Board has received a report from Mr Tracey indicating that the applicant has been an active participant in counselling.

The Board is of the view that the Applicant should be granted a further period of parole. The Board has indicated to the Applicant that it will be a specific condition of his parole order that he continue to undergo counselling for his alcohol problem.

Given the Applicant’s history of breaching previous parole orders, the Board has made it abundantly clear to the Applicant that should he fail to comply with his conditions of parole his parole will be revoked.

Paroled 02/10/07 – 24/03/10