Gustav Otto SANFT - 01/02/2019

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Gustav Otto SANFT

Hearing: 1 February 2019

at Auckland Prison

Members of the Board:

  • Sir Ron Young - Chairperson
  • Mr P Elenio
  • Mr C King

Counsel:

  • Mr P Hamlin

Support Persons:

  • [withheld]
  • [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Mr Sanft was sentenced to 4 years 4 months imprisonment for manslaughter.  There were lesser sentences for cannabis supply and unlawful possession of a rifle. This is his first time before the Board.    He is 27 years of age and has recently been reduced to minimum security classification.  He has three pages of previous convictions although most involving disobedience of Court orders.
  2. The facts of the manslaughter are, indeed, tragic.  Mr Sanft had a shotgun and the shotgun discharged and his daughter was killed.  It is accepted that he did not intend to kill her but he did point the gun toward her and pulled the trigger.  He believed the shotgun was not loaded at the time.
  3. He has done very well in prison.  His conduct has been positive.  He is a cleaner.  He has completed the Brainwave programme, the alcohol and other drug programme level 2 and 3, and the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme (MIRP).  He talked to us today about what he had learnt from the MIRP, which was reassuring.  He is still to complete the maintenance for that programme.  He is now wait-listed to do the Drug Treatment Programme.  He wants to do so.  His counsel accepts that this will take a significant period of time and does not seek parole today. We agree.
  4. In addition, we think he is a good candidate for reintegration before release so that some efforts are made to introduce him back into the community in a safe way.  He remains in the meantime an undue risk.  We will see him again in April 2020.  If all of the programmes have been completed, and he has done some reintegration then, of course, he can always apply under s26 for an earlier hearing.

Sir Ron Young
Chairperson