Levi James Newport, 34, appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week and admitted breaching parole.
The defendant was serving a prison sentence of two years one month after he was convicted of methamphetamine and firearms charges and later had an extra eight months added to his sentence after he was involved in a prison assault.
The Parole Board considered he was no longer an undue risk to the community, despite a Roc*Roi (risk of re-conviction and risk of imprisonment) score of 0.94.
The Department of Corrections use Roc*Roi to measure a prisoner’s risk of further serious offending.
A number between zero and one is used to express the likelihood of a person being reconvicted in the future and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for their offending.
It takes into account a number of factors, including a person’s age, gender, criminal history, the time since their last offence and the seriousness of their most recent crime.
Newport’s Roc*Roi meant he showed a high risk of serious re-offending.
At a hearing in October, the Parole Board noted Newport had a criminal history that filled 21 pages.
At his previous parole hearing he was "heightened" and said he would "just serve his whole sentence".
Since then, he had changed his tune, the Parole Board heard.
A Corrections officer said she had seen Newport at his "most destructive and noncompliant", but had seen a really marked difference in his behaviour since April and another staff member agreed.
The Parole Board noted Newport did not have enough time left in custody to complete the recommended rehabilitation programmes behind bars and released him to Moana House, a residential rehabilitation facility in Dunedin.
But about a month later, Newport cut off his ankle bracelet and fled.
He was on the run for at least 10 days, with police appealing to the public through social media channels for help locating him.
Last week, lawyer Kelly Beazley told the court her client had asked staff at Moana House six times to go back to prison before taking matters into his own hands.
His wish eventually came true.
After his escape, he was recalled to prison to serve his sentence.
Judge Emma Parsons convicted Newport of breaching parole, but no further penalty was imposed.
