Qld cops kept waiting at court while Palmerston parolee bolts

Queensland police were left waiting for more than three hours at a Darwin court after a Palmerston man absconded on bail.

Three detectives arrived in the Territory on March 4 to collect Wesley David Bolton, who had breached his parole by testing positive to cannabis in a test.

Magistrate Vince Luppino had released Bolton on bail the day before to attend a residential rehabilitation program.

Bolton was found not to have attended the program when police tried to serve a summons.

He was re-arrested later the same day.

Bolton was extradited to Queensland on March 5 to serve the remaining five months of his sentence. He was on parole for a range of stealing offences.

Queensland Correctional Services granted Bolton permission to serve his parole in the Territory last November.

He lived at Gray, Palmerston, with his wife and four children until his latest arrest.

Defence lawyer Gerard Bryant argued at the initial extradition hearing on March 3 that the warrant was invalid because Queensland Correctional Services failed to disclose details of the charges Bolton faced.

Magistrate Luppino ordered the extradition despite Bolton’s defence lawyer pleading for bail so he could spend time with his family.

Bolton was accompanied back to Queensland on March 5 to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Fri, 18 March 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Greg McLean
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/