Two firearms burglars granted parole

Two men who stole an arsenal of weapons from a Dunedin gun club member have been granted parole halfway through their respective prison terms.

Scott Alexander Trotter (42) and Raymond Jason Mosley (41) posed as glaziers in October 2016 as they burgled the Maitland St property, making off with 28 firearms and 22,000 rounds of ammunition.

While a few of the weapons were recovered by police and several gang members and associates arrested, the vast majority of the cache was never located.

Trotter previously told the Parole Board he had thrown them in the sea when he realised how serious the situation was.

He was sentenced to four and a-half years' imprisonment and Mosley to four years four months.

With nearly two years remaining on their sentences, they each came before the Parole Board within a couple of days, Mosley at Otago Corrections Facility and Trotter at Invercargill Prison.

Their progress behind bars appeared to have mirrored one another, too.

Each man had completed the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme and the Drug Treatment Programme.

Mosley became a mentor to other prisoners, the board heard, and ''received a very positive report on his engagement''.

Trotter, likewise, was praised for his progress.

''The parole assessment report is very positive in terms of his engagement with programmes and his behaviour and motivation in the prison environment,'' panel convener Judge David Mather said.

While the prisoners' respective lengthy records gave the Parole Board cause for concern, it deemed both safe for release.

''[Mosley] appears to have developed a good deal of understanding about himself and how he can stay offence-free and live a positive law-abiding lifestyle,'' Judge Mather said.

Trotter had a five-year period where he was offence-free from 2011.

''And he appears to have relapsed only in the context of his work and family life crumbling,'' the judge said. ''His commitment to change seems genuine and supported by the progress he has made on this sentence.''

He would go straight into residential rehabilitation which would end in September, the board heard.

Mosley would be on a curfew for the first three months of his release and was ordered to undertake a Tikanga programme at Corrections' behest.

Conditions the pair also had to abide by included:

• Not to use alcohol or drugs.
• To live at an address approved by Probation.
• Not to contact any victim of offending.
• Not to communicate with co-offender.

rob.kidd@odt.co.nz