Prisoner back in custody after fleeing from Dunedin Airport
A 38-year-old man on compassionate bail to attend a funeral was arrested in Dunedin after missing his flight. Corrections officials clarified that because he was on court-granted bail rather than in their custody, he was not under direct supervision at the time of the breach.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the legal distinctions and procedural complexities surrounding compassionate bail in the New Zealand justice system.
A man granted bail to attend a tangi has been returned to custody after missing his flight from Dunedin Airport. The man, 38, had been granted bail on compassionate grounds by the courts to travel from Dunedin to Wellington by flight on Thursday. When a person is granted compassionate bail by the courts, they are not in Corrections' custody. A Corrections spokesperson said because a person granted court-imposed bail is not in Corrections’ custody, they were not accompanied by Corrections officers for the period that they were on bail. “While this person was not in our custody, one Corrections staff member had transported the person to the airport to board their flight.” The person missed their flight and his partner arrived at the airport to collect him.
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