Court runner’s bid for freedom fails

A MAN who leaped out of the dock and made a failed escape attempt from court has been similarly unsuccessful with an appeal.

Damien Gary White (36) was jailed for three years two months following a methamphetaminefuelled crime spree when he was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court in April.

He appealed Judge Michael Crosbie’s decision before the High Court at Dunedin in July and a recently release judgement explained why he was knocked back.

‘‘The sentence . . . was by no means a severe one and overall the outcome is not in error,’’ Justice Simon France said.

White was in court appearing in front of a justice of the peace on April 18 last year. When it became clear he was not getting bail, he hurdled the dock and made a dash for freedom.

He was eventually apprehended at the Dunbar St entrance where court security, police and Correction staff converged on him.

Locked up at the Otago Corrections Facility, White continued his attempts to manipulate the outcome of the criminal process.

On May 2 last year, White made three phone calls to his partner, whom he had earlier assaulted, instructing her to swear a new affidavit to help his cause.

The next day, the victim followed through.

When police listened to White’s phone calls from prison, which had all been recorded, he was charged with perverting the course of justice.

When considering the appeal, Justice France said the starting point adopted for the perverting charge was ‘‘arguably too light given that the vehicle for Mr White’s offending was the woman he had twice assaulted in a domestic context’’.

Defence counsel Brian Kilkelly argued the sentence had been increased too much for the courtescape bid.

But the judge disagreed. Justice France accepted the overall outcome might have seemed severe to White but said when perverting the course of justice was involved, it always significantly elevated the sentence.