Sex pest out of jail Offender freed for eighth time

A SEX offender who threatened to rape staff members at a mental health unit where he was receiving help has been released from jail for the eighth time.

Eric Sands, 45, has a “long and torturous” history of sexual offending littered with convictions for wilful exposure, masturbating in public and indecent treatment of a child.

In 2007, he was jailed for placing his hand over a sixyear-old’s mouth and touching her leg after he climbed through the window of a house while drunk.

Sands was released from jail in 2011 but has been returned to jail seven times – bounced from prison to supervision order and back again following contraventions and “likely contraventions”.

In 2018, he was placed in a North Queensland Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (SMHRU) but was returned to prison after he made rape threats and displayed “highly sexualised and threatening behaviour” towards female staff members.

His case landed back in Brisbane Supreme Court where it was ruled last month that he should be released for an eighth time back into the unit. The decision came despite Sands being considered as a “high risk” of reoffending by two psychiatrists.

At a hearing before Justice Peter Davis, Chief Psychiatrist of Queensland John Reilly expressed the view that Sands, who has schizophrenia and anti-social personality disorder, could be managed by a clinical team at the unit.

Dr Reilly said the facility would provide the “necessary structure and support to enable a graduated transition to the community”.

Justice Davis agreed that as long as Sands was living in the unit, he would likely not contravene the order.

“If he is not living at the SMHRU, then he is likely to contravene the supervision order by the commission of a serious sexual offence,” Justice Davis said.

Sands was released prison on February 17.

• For 24-hour support in Queensland phone DVCONnect on 1800 811 811, MensLine on 1800 600 636 or the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. from