PEIHOPA - Alexander Tokorua - 11/11/2011
Parole hearing
Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002
Alexander Tokorua PEIHOPA
Hearing:
11 November 2011
At (Withheld)
Members of the Board:
Judge D J Carruthers
Judge E Paul
Assoc. Professor P Brinded
Mr A Ritchie
Ms K Snook
Observer:
Ms K Govind for Department of Corrections
Counsel:
(Withheld)
Support Persons:
(Withheld)
(Withheld)
DECISION OF THE BOARD
Alexander Tokorua Peihopa, aged 25, appears for parole to be considered.He is supported by a friend, (Withheld), and by (Withheld).
We began the hearing today by listening to counsel’s submissions. Mr Allan felt it was important to give some context to the situation of his client. The context relates to this young man having a very good upbringing with parents who loved and cared about him until things went so dramatically and terribly wrong. That family context will play an important part in the future for Mr Peihopa, as it has in the past.
We began also by letting Mr Peihopa know the views of the family members of his victim. The Board had met with them on previous occasions. The family view is a very clear one. It is not desired to meet with Mr Peihopa. Mr Choy’s mother expressed a strong wish that he makes dramatic and permanent changes in his behaviour and attitude and that no-one else has to suffer in the most terrible way that she and her family have as a result of the tragic death of their son.
Mr Peihopa is in the middle of certain activities at the present time and so, to some extent, this hearing today was premature.
He is in the middle of the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme and that concludes in mid December. There is not yet a psychological report which will assess his risk and look also at his release proposals and his safety plan. We await that.
It is important that he completes the programme at the present time which challenges his thinking and his previous activities and will give him the tools to avoid those things in the future.
We await the completion of that programme and a report from it which will give us information about how well he has done.
In short, therefore, and in spite of the very good support which Mr Peihopa clearly has from family and others, there is no possibility of him being released on parole today and it must be declined.
We are going to reschedule him for February next year. At that time we will have an updated psychological report and we ask for that. We are assured that that will be available.
We seek also the usual MIRP completion report. Other pieces of information, of course, will be available to us, as usual, with the ordinary reports which we have come to expect.
We return, as we must in all of these cases, to the terrible index offence. Mr Peihopa was called the “designated hitter” in this case. It was he who struck Mr Choy.
He expressed enormous sorrow and regret about that and we do not have any doubt that this was genuine. However, important work remains to be done and that prevents our making any other decision today.
Parole declined. To be reassessed in February.
Judge D J Carruthers
Panel Convenor
Review
• You may apply for a review of the Board’s decision under section 67(1). The only grounds under which you may make an application for review are that the Board, in making its decision:
a) Failed to comply with procedures in the Parole Act 2002; or
b) Made an error of law; or
c) Failed to comply with Board policy resulting in unfairness to the offender; or
d) Based its decision on erroneous or irrelevant information that was material to the decision reached; or
e) Acted without jurisdiction.
• To apply for a review you must write to the Board within 28 days of its decision stating which of the above ground(s) you consider to be relevant in your case and giving reasons why you believe that ground(s) applies.
• Reviews are considered on the papers only. There is no hearing in respect of your Review Application.