Fugitive’s trail included badly hurt cop
"[Police sergeant John Miller] is never going to be the same person he was, but appears to be slowly improving. But still he is certainly significantly impaired 15 months after."
Wellington District Court judge Stephen Harrop
More than a year after he was found unconscious on the ground after chasing an escaping criminal, police sergeant John Miller is still not back at work fulltime.
And he still cannot get on a plane to go see his first grandchild.
Miller had been in courtroom one at Hutt Valley District Court on September 5 last year as the police prosecutor when Sabbath Mohi jumped from the dock and ran. Miller was right behind him.
A moment later he was on the ground outside the court with a head injury and Mohi was gone.
It took 11 days for police to recapture Mohi who then went on to assault a prisoner at Rimutaka while he was on remand for attacking Miller.
Detective Inspector Grant Wormald read Miller’s victim impact statement to the Wellington District Court yesterday.
Miller, who is 58, had been planning to fly to the United Kingdom to meet his first grandchild three weeks after the assault, but the trip had to be cancelled.
Even now he is not cleared to fly, cannot cope with crowds or noise for any amount of time, and had nightmares.
He had two brain bleeds and extensive rehabilitation.
He wrote that it was devastating not to be able to go overseas.
Miller had been at the top level of fitness for police and has only just been given clearance to ride his road bike again.
Crown prosecutor Grant Burston said there was no guarantee Miller would return to work fully, although he would be increasing his hours to four a day in the new year.
Mohi had pleaded guilty to aggravated wounding, escaping, aggravated assault, theft of a car, dangerous driving, and driving while forbidden. He had also pleaded to the charges that had brought him before the court that day, male assaults female, unlawful possession of a firearm and an offensive weapon, breach of bail and a charge of injuring another prisoner with intent to injure him.
Judge Stephen Harrop said Miller had got close to Mohi while chasing him, when Mohi turned on him. There was a confrontation and Miller fell backwards, hitting his head on the ground.
He said it was accepted Mohi had not intended what turned out to be serious consequences to Miller.
‘‘He is never going to be the same person he was, but appears to be slowly improving.
‘‘But still he is certainly significantly impaired 15 months after,’’ Judge Harrop said.
Mohi had run off, pulling a driver from his car to take it and hitting other cars when other drivers tried to block him.
The judge said Mohi and another man jumped another prisoner in the yard at Rimutaka while he was on remand. They kicked, stomped and punched the man to the ground.
He jailed Mohi for 71⁄2 years but declined to impose a minimum non-parole period.