High-risk offender jailed for breaches

A high-risk sex offender has been jailed for breaching his extended supervision order (ESO) for the 20th and 21st time.

Darren Albert Jolly had 19 earlier convictions for breaching the same order since 2011. The order expires in 2023.

Probation officer Steve Anderson told the Christchurch District Court yesterday that Jolly’s latest breach involved associating with a person under the age of 16 in December, without the written approval of a probation officer.

The 51-year-old had more than 110 convictions for sex with underage girls, indecent sex acts, fraud, theft, assault, and dangerous driving, and had an ESO imposed on him by the Hamilton District Court in 2011. The order banned him from computers, going near schools, parks, and playgrounds, and not associating with people under 16 years old.

Defence counsel Rupert Ward said Jolly pleaded guilty. He said Jolly was extremely anxious and stressed, and apart from the breaches had not offended since 2004. Jolly was doing everything in his limited capacity not to offend further, he said.

Judge Paul Kellar said a psychological report found Jolly’s coping skills became overwhelmed at times of stress and he had poor judgment and impulsive behaviour leading to more breaches.

He had borderline intellectual function, and suffered from social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, which led to the abuse of young females to relieve loneliness and boredom, the report said.

Jolly was at high risk of reoffending and further harm and had a sense of entitlement, his presentence probation report said. Judge Kellar sentenced Jolly to 13 months in prison.