A man jailed for shooting at police has had more time tacked on to his sentence after assaulting a fellow inmate. Reilly Bowler, 30, appeared in the Dunedin District Court on Wednesday after earlier admitting a charge of injuring with intent to injure. At the time of the attack, the defendant was serving a sentence of 10 years and 10 months at Otago corrections Facility. The sentence was imposed on a raft of crimes including from October 2017 when he fled the Waitakere District Court, leapt over the dock, dodged security staff and escaped in a car waiting outside, The New Zealand Herald reported. Days later Bowler was arrested after a dramatic police chase across Auckland ended with him firing a pump-action shotgun at officers. In 2019, he was sentenced for that offending and a slew of other crimes and ordered to serve 10 years before he could see the parole board. On Tuesday his prison sentence was extended. The court heard that on November 12 the defendant was in an Otago Corrections Facility yard. He approached another inmate and yelled at him before delivering 10 punches to his head and body. The victim crouched down in a corner, but when he stood up Bowler punched him another five times and kneed him. The victim was left with a broken tooth and swelling to his forehead and ribs. At sentencing, Judge Emma Smith said the facts of the offending were “not impressive”. She noted Bowler offered little explanation for the offending apart from saying there had been “ongoing tension” between the two. The defendant told a Probation officer he “felt bad” about the assault and shook the victim’s hand afterwards. The judge highlighted Bowler’s extensive and serious list of previous convictions. “Sadly for you, violence seems a way of expression. “Or you simply cannot contain your preparedness to hurt others,” she said. Bowler had engaged in some rehabilitative programmes, including one aimed at addressing violent tendencies. “It’s perplexing, its difficult for me to understand that despite those kinds of assistance you offend again in an extraordinarily serious way,” the judge said. “On any view, it was extreme violence. “It was repetitive and prolonged.” The court heard Bowler’s partner had travelled from Brisbane to attend the sentencing. Judge Smith sentenced Bowler to 11 months’ imprisonment, which would be added on to the sentence he was already serving. felicity.dear@odt.co.nz
