Sex pest stays in jail
A mentally impaired dangerous sex offender who threatened to rape another disabled prisoner and has made sexually suggestive comments to a female guard will remain behind bars indefinitely after a third review of his continuing detention.
In a decision delivered on Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice John McKechnie said Adrian Pindan remained a dangerous sex offender and that was a situation never likely to change.
Justice McKechnie said in his present circumstances, there was no realistic possibility the community could be protected if Pindan was released on supervision.
"Unless placed into a full-time closed psychiatric hospital, there are no other facilities that could provide adequate protection," Justice McKechnie said.
Reports to the court described Pindan as a complex case. The court was told that because of his cognitive disability, he was unable to properly care for himself and needed supervision to conduct even the most basic of prison tasks.
His main concern in jail was getting cigarettes and he was prone to offending when he drank. One report determined there was a four out of 10 likelihood of Pindan reoffending within five years of his release and the risk would increase if he was intoxicated.
Pindan's case attracted strong criticism by another judge last year but Justice McKechnie said the Government had made reasonable efforts to fulfil its responsibilities to the sex offender.
His case will be reviewed annually.
