New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

 

Benjamen Patrick BELMONT

Hearing: 2 February 2016 at [Withheld]

Members of the Board: 
       Judge C Henwood (Panel Convenor)
       Dr P Taylor
       Mr S Perry

Support Persons 
      [Withheld]
      [Withheld]
      [Withheld]

 

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Benjamen Patrick Belmont appears before the Board for consideration of parole.  This is the third parole hearing that he has had and he has been seeking a good address.  He is serving a sentence of four years and 10 months for serious drug related offending committed between November 2012 and April 2013 when he was 19 years of age.
 
2. It is an unusual situation where he had embarked on ordering a lot of drugs online and managed to pull off quite significant drug offending over a range of different drugs.  This has resulted in a prison sentence for him.  It is his first set of offending and first prison sentence. 

3. Whilst he has been doing this sentence, he has done the DTU and the MIRP and done whatever he can on the sentence to improve his situation.  He had two misconducts in 2014 and 2015 but we understand now that his behaviour in prison has been very good.

4. He has got strong support.  [Withheld] are at the parole hearing.  [Withheld] has offered him an address in [Withheld] where he can live with him under strict oversight.  [Withheld] support him.  There are some issues around [Withheld] that need to be addressed and living [Withheld] is not an option.  So we believe he does not present an undue risk to the safety of the community.  As mentioned, this is his first offending.  He seems to have learnt a significant lesson from embarking on this behaviour and will not do it again in the future.

5. He will be released on [Withheld] February 2016.  The standard and special conditions are to remain in full force and effect until sentence end date, namely 6 March 2018.
   (1) To attend, participate in and adhere to the rules of a Departmental Maintenance group to the satisfaction of the Probation Officer and Programme provider.
   (2) Undertake any further counselling, treatment or program as deemed necessary by your Probation Officer, to mitigate the likelihood of further re-offending to the satisfaction of the Probation Officer and treatment provider.
   (3) To reside at [Withheld] and not to move from that address without the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.
   (4) Until 22 May 2016, not to stay away overnight from your residence without prior written approval of a Probation Officer. This means you are to be at your approved address seven nights a week from 10.00pm to 6.00am for the first three months of your release from Prison.
   (5) Not to possess or consume alcohol or drugs.
   (6) Not to communicate or associate with any persons specified by your Probation Officer, unless you have the prior written consent of your Probation Officer.

 

Judge C Henwood
Panel Convenor