New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing
Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002;

Cory Raymond TATTON

Hearing: 14 February 2017 at [Withheld]

Members of the Board:

• Judge P Gittos QSO (Panel Convenor)
• Mr J Thomson
• Ms M Coleman

Counsel:

• [Withheld]
• [Withheld]

Support Persons:

• [Withheld]
• [Withheld]
• [Withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Cory Tatton is a 37 year old man serving a sentence of two years and four months’ imposed upon him for some nine counts of indecent assault against four victims, all of whom were [Withheld].  Apart from this he has no previous criminal history at all.  He was last before the Board on 21 September when the Board noted that he was waitlisted for one-on-one treatment with the psychologist in order to address his risk.  Unfortunately for Mr Tatton, at this juncture, that has yet to be provided, although it is in his sentence plan and he is, were are told, listed to have this intervention within the next few months.  At this point his release date is 16 October and the Board cannot be entirely confident that this very necessary intervention is in fact going to take place during the remaining time on his sentence.

2. He was supported today by [Withheld]  and represented by counsel who have put together a comprehensive release plan which would involve Mr Tatton receiving the necessary psychological intervention in the community on a one-on-one basis with a consulting registered psychologist, [Withheld].  She has already seen him and we have to hand a lengthy report from her dated [Withheld] which essentially recommends treatment also along the same lines as that recommended by the Departmental psychologist in the only other report we have of this kind which is dated January last year.

3. Since he was last seen by the Board, he has completed the DTU programme.  It is evident that alcohol abuse was a very substantial factor in his offending and the difficulty it seems for Mr Tatton until recently has been to acknowledge that alcohol cannot per se be seen as to blame for this.  It seems from our discussion with him that he has now, following his involvement in the DTU, come to a clearer understanding that he has issues aside from problems with alcohol that need to be addressed in the treatment with the psychologist and this he is plainly prepared to do.

4. We have considered the alternatives of keeping him here virtually to sentence end date in order to have the treatment carried out in the prison setting, or giving him the opportunity to attend the consultant psychologist on release conditions and also to attend a group programme which is a part of the package put forward by counsel in his submissions.

5. We have reached the view that Mr Tatton, while he requires this treatment, can safely receive it in the community on release conditions, on the basis that he has consented to a treatment report being made to the Board following his treatment by the psychologist.  In the meantime he will be subject to recall if he does not comply fully with the programme of treatment and the Board will conduct a monitoring hearing in due course when the psychological treatment is completed.  We would expect that all of this will be accomplished before his sentence end date and Mr Tatton will in the meantime be subject to the peril of recall should the programme not be attended as envisaged.

6. Mr Tatton has good family support and a suitable release address with [Withheld], well away from the victims of his offending.  He is to be released accordingly with effect from [Withheld]  March 2017 upon the following conditions, all of which are to prevail until six months after sentence end date.

7. The Special Conditions are:
(1) To attend and complete any treatment or counselling as recommended by the alcohol counsellor, as directed by your Probation Officer and to the satisfaction of your treatment provider and Probation Officer.
(2) To attend and complete a programme of treatment to address  your sex offending to comprise not less than 10 separate sessions with your registered clinical psychologist [Withheld]  or such other duly qualified practitioner as the Probation Officer directs to the satisfaction of the psychologist and the Probation Officer.
(3) To undertake and complete such other treatment or counselling to the satisfaction of the Probation Officer and treatment provider. The details of the counselling or treatment to be determined by your Probation Officer.
(4) To reside at [Withheld], and not move from that address, or any subsequently approved address, without the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.
(5) Not to possess or consume alcohol or use a controlled drug or psychoactive substance.
(6) Not to have contact or otherwise associate with any victim of your offending, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of a Probation Officer.
(7) If required, to comply with any direction made under section 29B(2)(b) of the Parole Act 2002 to attend a hearing in June 2017 at a time and place to be notified to you, to enable the Parole Board to monitor your compliance with your release conditions.
(8) Not to travel south of the Bombay Hills, without the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.

Judge P Gittos QSO
Panel Convenor