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A Dunedin gang member who forced his way into a house to commit a rape has been declined parole for the fifth time.
Adrian Justin Waa, 39, was sentenced to eight years and four months’ imprisonment after being found guilty at a 2021 trial in the High Court at Dunedin.
Waa had briefly met the victim in the past, the jury heard, but she was not expecting him when he began banging on her door early one morning.
He barged his way in and pursued the woman to her bedroom where he violated her in several ways.
He also told her he would come back and repeat the abuse ‘‘every single day’’, and the victim only escaped when he fell asleep.
At a hearing last month, the Parole Board underscored Waa’s history of serious violence, which included robbery, firearms convictions, assaults and wounding.
A particularly severe attack resulted in a prison term of seven and a-half years being imposed in 2006.
Panel convener Aaron Perkins, KC, noted that while serving his most recent sentence, Waa had completed treatment to address drugs and violence, as well as undertaking individual sessions with a psychologist.
Once a prisoner completes their rehabilitative work, Correction focuses on reintegration — preparing the inmate for life back in the community, often through guided releases or work programmes outside the wire.
But Mr Perkins charted the complications that had arisen on that front.
Last year, the Parole Board questioned why Waa had been transferred from Invercargill Prison to the Otago Corrections Facility and then on to Christchurch Men’s Prison.
At his most recent hearing there was still confusion over what exactly had occurred behind the scenes.
‘‘The only known reason therefore was what had already been reported to a previous board as concerns for the safety of a staff member following a comment Mr Waa is said to have made,’’ Mr Perkins said.
The prisoner’s lawyer stressed the unsubstantiated claims had stymied the man’s progress.
The only proven misconduct, the board heard, came about in January because Waa entered another inmate’s cell.
While Mr Perkins accepted the man’s reintegrative opportunities had been interrupted, it was not the result of any bad faith or impropriety by Corrections.
Waa was described as ‘‘generally polite and compliant’’ but his diligence as a unit rubbish worker was questioned.
A recent file note recorded he had to be reminded of his duties as bins were looking ‘‘very grubby’’.
He was said to ‘‘appear annoyed and walked away’’.
Waa accepted he would not be getting parole but had a job lined up and accommodation available in October.
His next appearance before the board is due in September.