Dozens of high-risk parolees tracked and monitored for years after release from prison

A NOTORIOUS gunman, an ex-outlaw bikie living a “life of crime” and a violent drug addict are some of the 36 criminals Attorney-General John Rau wants supervised once released from jail.

A NOTORIOUS gunman, an ex-outlaw bikie living a “life of crime” and a violent drug addict are some of the 36 criminals Attorney-General John Rau wants supervised once released from jail.

Mr Rau has made 36 applications to the Supreme Court to place convicted criminals on extended supervision orders since the legislation that allowed for such requests came into effect on January 25, 2016.

Fifteen applications have been granted, one has been rejected and the remainder are pending in the judiciary.

Five of the applications involved criminals who the Government had previously wanted to have detained indefinitely.

Barossa Valley siege gunman Tony Grosser — who served 22 years for shooting a police officer in 1994 — was the first parolee to be slapped with an order.

He was released last year and placed under supervision for four years, including two years of electronic monitoring.

Former Mongols bikie Anthony Wells, who was jailed for punching a man in 2014, has lashed out at his order, saying he would rather spend a further 18 months in jail.

Anthony Wells was found to be a “high-risk offender” and will be supervised while on parole.

Last month, Justice Tim Stanley found Wells to be a “high-risk offender” and placed him on a two-year order with eight months of electronic tracking.

Before the order was made, Wells told Justice Stanley he should be a “free man” on parole after serving his sentence.

He said it would be a “waste of time” to place him on a supervision order because he would most likely breach it and be back before the court.

“I won’t last eight days, let alone eight months, so you may as well just leave me in prison to be honest,” he said. He said he would rather do a further 18 months jail than be placed on the order.

“I haven’t even broken the law in any way or form,” he said.

“What have I done wrong? I’ve served my sentence, I should be a free man.”

Justice Stanley told Wells that he had not committed an offence but had found him to be a high-risk offender under the legislation to “prevent you, as best we can, offending and hurting someone”.

Tony Grosser leaves the High Court in 2002.

“It’s your best chance to attempt to break the cycle,” he said.

Wells was awaiting release from custody after breaching his parole.

Last week, Justice Ann Vanstone rejected an order being sought by Mr Rau, saying convicted armed robber Craig Gates did not meet the criteria because his victim was not at risk of serious harm.

“I have formed the view that the respondent’s crime did not involve ‘a risk of the death of, or serious harm to’ another,” she said.

Gates was jailed for robbing a service station in Glenside while armed with a knife in 2013.

Mr Rau said the goal of the orders was not additional punishment for offenders. Rather it was keep an eye on them.

“It is to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to monitor those individuals — who have committed serious offences — and who the court is satisfied remain a risk to the community upon their release,” he said.

Released ... but tracked

TONY DOUGLAS GROSSER

Grosser served 22 years jail for shooting police officer, Derrick McManus, during a siege in the Barossa Valley in 1994. He was released from prison last year.

ANTHONY WELLS

In May 2016, Wells was sentenced to two years and three months jail, with a 20-month non-parole period. The former Mongols bikie pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of assault. His victim had been kidnapped by two others and brought to his house.

STEPHEN JOHN SULLIVAN

Sullivan, who has an intellectual disability, was jailed for three years with a non-parole period of 15 months in 2014 for making a communication for a prurient purpose. He has a record of unlawful sexual intercourse with teenage girls.

BENJAMIN ANTHONY BILES

In October 2015, Biles was jailed for two years with a non-parole period of nine months for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a drunk girl, 14, at a party.

DANIEL JOHN OSWALD

Oswald was given a three-year head sentence with a non-parole period of 12 months for breaking into a home and assaulting a man and his friend during a violent home invasion.