RELEASE DATES REVEALED: Ipswich‘s most shocking criminals and their 2022 parole dates
These individuals shocked Ipswich with their crimes, but their time behind bars may be coming to an end. See which Ipswich criminals are due to be released back into the community this year.
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From offenders charged with horrific acts of violence to drug empires and official corruption, some of Ipswich’s most notorious criminals are due to be released this year.
University of Queensland School of Law Associate Lecturer Dr Rebecca Wallis said the Queensland legal system’s determination of appropriate sentences and release dates was a complex process.
While court sentences must consider the individual circumstances, deterrence and rehabilitation, Dr Wallis said parole decisions were ultimately matters of risk management.
She said criminals in Queensland either received a court ordered parole date or a parole eligibility date – which was usually set for prisoners with a sentence of more than three years imprisonment.
“It doesn’t mean that a person is immediately released on parole. When that eligibility date comes up, it just means at that point they can make an application to the Parole Board,” Dr Wallis explained.
Under the Corrective Services Act 2006, the Parole Board then has 120 days to respond to a parole application – although Dr Wallis noted the parole process has been slowed in recent years due to prison overcrowding.
Dr Wallis said judges were confined to the Penalties and Sentences Act, and predominantly determine their sentence based on the nature of the offence itself, the community interest, and the circumstances of the offender themself.
“If you’re very elderly, or if you’ve had a terminal illness … Those kinds of factors can sometimes be taken into account,” she explained.
She said the court sentencing process “attempts to be personalised, but it’s very much constrained by the Sentencing Act”.
Dr Wallis said Queensland had its own legislation for sentencing, but sentencing frameworks were predominantly similar across states.
“Probably the biggest difference in Queensland and a handful other states … is a mandatory life sentence for murder offences,” she said.
“They’ll remain on supervision for the rest of their life because it’s a life sentence, but they might have the opportunity eventually to be supervised – to essentially serve that sentence back in the community.”
Dr Wallis said that Queensland has recently put in place systems for the Parole Board to issue stricter limitations for when criminals can next apply for parole if their first application was declined.
With this system in place as of the end of 2021, Dr Wallis said the Queensland parole system “probably at the moment is the most restrictive parole process in Australia”.
She said parole eligibility considerations primarily concerned the risk the person posed to the community, their criminal history and their rehabilitation efforts during their imprisonment.
“Then for serious offenders, there’s been more recently a push towards providing a space for the voices of victims and their families or their supports to be heard as well,” said Dr Wallis.
Dr Wallis said the Parole Board must weigh these factors against the risk the individual may pose to the community if not released on parole, but instead released without supervision at the end of their sentence.
She explained that although the community was often more satisfied to see criminals serve the entirety of their sentence, individuals were likely to have a lower risk of reoffending while on parole.
A 2022 report from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research found that New South Wales prisoners released on parole were significantly less likely to be convicted within a year of release than non-supervised prisoners.
“You can’t minimise the risks to nothing unfortunately … All of us probably have some capacity to do bad things,” said Dr Wallis.
Here are the parole dates for some of Ipswich’s most serious convicted offenders.
PAUL PISASALE
Disgraced former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale was jailed in 2020 after pleading guilty to 35 charges, including official corruption and sexual assault.
He was sentenced in Ipswich District Court by Judge Dennis Lynch to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment, and his parole eligibility date was set for October 2022.
At the time, the court heard that Pisasale sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman he met at a local function in December 2016.
His other offences included fraud, perjury and unlawful possession of drugs.
Judge Dennis Lynch said Pisasale had also used charity funds to buy items for himself and organised for charity items to be delivered to his girlfriend’s business.
Pisasale has since been in custody at Wolston Correctional Centre.
More recently, the Ipswich City Council has debated whether to strip the Pisasale name from the Paul Pisasale Bridge and Pisasale Drive.
On July 12, 2022, the council voted in favour of the assets being renamed.
If Pisasale has behaved himself in custody, he will be able to apply for parole later this year and – depending on the Parole Board’s verdict – potentially be facing the public in the following months.
PAUL WEYMOUTH
Paul Douglas Weymouth landed himself back in court in January this year after attacking his partner, just hours after being released from prison.
He had been sentenced to two years imprisonment in August, 2021 for assaulting his partner and was released in December later that year.
On January 31, 2022, police prosecutor Nick Turnbull said that after being released, Weymouth went to the woman’s home in Brassall and grabbed her from behind.
He then punched her in the side of her face, grabbed her by the neck and dragged her into the garage.
The court heard at the time that Weymouth had been angry with the woman for spending the money he had planned to put towards his grandson’s funeral.
Acting Magistrate Seaholm said Weymouth had a nine page criminal history which included a number of domestic violence crimes.
Weymouth pleaded guilty at the time to two charges of common assault, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.
His parole eligibility date was set for May 28, 2022, but Department of Corrections records show Weymouth is currently still incarcerated at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre.
Depending on how he has spent his time in custody, the serial domestic violence offender could be released into the public in the coming months.
PHILLIP NIJP
An online predator who raped a young mum in 2019 could be eligible for parole later this year.
Phillip Christiaan Nijp pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court in February 2020 to one count of rape and one count of burglary.
At the time, prosecutor Amanda Robinson said Nijp had spoken to the woman online, before arranging to meet at the Bundamba pool.
They met on January 21 2019, and Ms Robinson said Nijp grabbed the woman’s breasts before they had even left the carpark to go to the pool.
The woman drove home and phoned a friend, but Nijp followed her.
She told him she had to go to her daughter, and Nijp left – but when the woman returned home, she found Nijp had broken into her house.
He grabbed her breasts, pulled her hair, pushed her onto a bed and raped her.
Nijp was ultimately sentenced to eight years imprisonment, and his parole eligibility date was set for October 22, 2022.
DAVID KEPU
28-year-old David Kepu was given a jail sentence last year for a drunk drive that left two people with life-changing injuries.
Court heard at the time that Kepu had driven on the Warrego Highway in August, 2020 with a blood alcohol reading of 0.188 per cent.
Kepu was seen driving over 150 kmh while weaving in and out of traffic, before he crashed into the back of another car, causing it to flip multiple times and crash into a ditch.
Court heard that the two occupants feared for their life while waiting for emergency services to free them from the wreckage.
The woman suffered a collapsed lung and broken leg, arm and ribs, while the man had his head cut open, suffered multiple spinal fractures, and required multiple surgeries on his wrist and arm.
On December 6, 2021, Kepu pleaded guilty at Ipswich Court to dangerously operating a vehicle and causing grievous bodily harm while under the influence of alcohol, drink driving, and speeding.
Kepu was sentenced to serve 12 months of a four-year prison sentence and disqualified his license for two years.
MATTHEW BONHAM
Matthew Warren Bonham was jailed last year for three horrific domestic violence attacks throughout 2021.
In November 2021, court heard that all three attacks involved strangulation, kicks and punches to the head, and being thrown to the ground.
Magistrate Peter Saggers said “(Strangulation) is a precursor to murder, which you have done so on three occasions.”
“If you have that level of violence towards women you may murder a woman.”
Bonham pleaded guilty to three counts of strangulation, seven charges of common assault, contravening a DV order, possessing drugs, and possessing drug utensils.
He was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment, which will be suspended after 12 months for a period of four years.
However, due to Bonham’s presentence custody, he would only serve 10 months of actual jail time.
Assuming Bonham has stayed out of trouble throughout his time at Maryborough Correctional Centre, he will be released on probation in September this year.
JAMES DODDS
A man who repeatedly stole credit cards from elderly victims is due to be released on parole later this week.
James Dodds, 47, pleaded guilty in an Ipswich Court earlier this year to two counts of entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence, 15 counts of fraud, one attempted fraud, and one count of stealing.
Court heard at the time that Dodds‘ victims included an 88-year-old woman with dementia, and a 95-year-old man who was sitting in his living room, watching as Dodds entered his home and took his wallet from the table.
Magistrate Kathleen Payne said at the time that Dodds’ offending was at “the bottom of the barrel of offending as far as morality goes“.
Dodds received two years imprisonment for the enter dwellings, four months for each of the fraud charges, six months for the stealing, and four months imprisonment for the attempted fraud – to be served concurrently.
His pre-sentence custody period of 196 days was declared time served, with parole release set for July 22 2022.
STEFANO HAMISI
Stefano Hamisi was jailed in April after an elderly woman was scammed out of $1,000,000 – which landed in Hamisi’s bank account.
After spending $134,310 of the money, the Ipswich man initially told investigators he knew nothing about how the money got there and that he had assumed it was Bitcoin profits sent from a Dubi investor.
His own lawyer Steve Kissick told the court at the time that this was “nonsense” Hamisi had made up.
The court heard that the victim’s conveyancer’s email had been hacked, and that the online hackers had asked the victim to deposit her $1,054,392 settlement payment into Hamisi’s account.
Hamisi was only charged with fraudulently and dishonestly obtaining over $100,000, and Judge Rafter SC said it was accepted Hamisi was not involved in the hacking.
Hamisi pleaded guilty to the fraud charge and was sentenced to serve six months imprisonment of a two-year jail term.
He is currently in Borallon Training and Correctional Centre, and is expected to be released in October.
WAYNE PATU
An Ipswich father with a history of drug supply and armed robbery in company returned to court from behind bars this year – with his daughter as his co-accused.
The duo was charged for their scheme to smuggle opioids into Borallon Correctional Facility, where Wayne Patu was being held.
Court heard at the time that Wayne Patu had enlisted his daughter’s help to repay his drug debts to fellow inmates.
The duo switched between English and Samoan languages over the phone, and Wayne Patu monitored incremental payments totalling approximately $4500 to his daughter from a range of accounts.
He organised for his daughter to bring the opioids to him as “a gift”, but she was intercepted by police when she arrived.
Both Aigataulagi and Wayne Patu pleaded guilty to one count of supplying dangerous drugs within a correctional facility in May 2022.
Aigataulagi received parole, while Wayne Patu was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
His parole eligibility date was set for May 10, 2022, but the Department of Corrections records show he is currently at Woodford Correctional Centre.
JAMES WALKER
A man who raped a woman and held her captive in his bus while they were both high on meth could be released later this year.
James Peter Walker pleaded guilty in June, 2022, to rape, assault occasioning bodily harm and deprivation of liberty.
Court heard that on January 11, 2019, Walker and the woman were at his bus residence, after having both taken methamphetamine.
Walker became agitated because he couldn’t find his phone, and he started removing his clothes and shouting at the woman, asking where his phone was.
He removed her clothes, punched her in the head, and told her “If you don’t find my phone I will kill you and your kids”.
Walker raped the woman and locked her inside his bus for approximately an hour and a half.
During that time, he repeatedly hit her, forced her to clean and search for his phone, and said she couldn’t leave unless she found his phone.
The woman eventually escaped and knocked on several nearby houses doors before someone answered and helped her contact police.
Walker received a head sentence of two years imprisonment, to be suspended after four months for three years.
Walker can be expected to be released on a suspended sentence in October this year.
MICHAEL GRAVES
Michael George Graves returned to an Ipswich court in June after pleading guilty five years ago to possessing child porn and walking free.
He returned with a new charge of possessing child exploitation material and four counts of failing to comply with his reporting obligations as a registered child sex offender.
The Springfield Lakes man was just 19 when initially found with 1400 child exploitation files and 17 videos across five of his devices.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with immediate release in 2016, but was later found with a further 135 pornographic images of children on his phone when police conducted a compliance check at his house.
Judge Horneman-Wren sentenced Graves to 18 months’ imprisonment, to be suspended after serving three months for an operational period of 2.5 years.
Graves is currently serving his three months at Wolston Correctional Centre, but the repeat child sex offender is scheduled to be back in the public in the coming months.
QUAN VAN DAU
An Inala tradie who sought asylum in Australia is approaching the end of his jail term – afterwhich he will face deportation to Vietnam.
Quan van Dau was sentenced last November for a sophisticated cannabis operation spanning Ipswich, Logan and Brisbane.
He pleaded guilty to trafficking in cannabis, two counts of possessing cannabis in excess of 500g, possessing cash suspected of being the proceeds of a drug offence, and possessing a mobile phone used to conduct his business.
The court heard at the time that the trafficking occurred between December 27, 2019 and April 13, 2020, and he supplied wholesale amounts of cannabis of up to 11kg to his contact and offered to supply up to 90kg.
Dau’s role was eventually uncovered via a telephone intercept of another person of interest in a police operation targeting the sale and distribution of illicit drugs.
Judge Lynch sentenced him to serve 12 months of a five-year head sentence with the other four years suspended for a period of five years.
Dau is currently imprisoned at Palen Creek Correctional Centre, and will face deportation after he completes his year in custody.
ALESANA CHUBB
Repeat offender Alesana Clifford Chubb was recently made eligible for parole again, after he kicked a prison guard in the face during a random drug search.
Court heard Chubb had been handcuffed and pantless during a strip search in February, 2021, when he lashed out and kicked the officer behind him.
Defence lawyer Patrick Horgan said “he was a very scared man with no pants on, handcuffed face down on the cold concrete.”
At the time, the Goodna resident was in custody for a number of crimes including armed robbery, threatening violence and enter dwelling with intent by break at night while armed in company.
Chubb pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022, to the serious assault of a corrective officer.
Magistrate Rowan Silva sentenced Chubb to one month jail to be served alongside his pre-existing two year jail term and immediate parole eligibility.
“It may yet be some time that you are actually released on parole but you will now be eligible to make the application,” he told Chubb.
Department of Corrections records show Chubb is currently at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre – presumably getting his parole application underway.
SAKARIA TAUFAO
An Uber driver sentenced to seven-years imprisonment for rape is now eligible to apply for parole – but will be deported when bail is granted.
Sakaria Taufao was found guilty in January 2021 of raping an 18-year-old passenger in the back seat of his BMW sedan off a dirt road in Redbank Plains in 2015.
While investigating another matter, police found the 18-year-old’s driver’s licence – which prosecutor Michael Gawrych suggested that Taufao had kept “as a trophy” of the rape.
After a four day trial, Taufao was found guilty and sentenced to seven years’ jail.
He returned to court in 2022 when he attempted to appeal the verdict, but the three judges unanimously agreed to dismiss the appeal.
Taufao has now served over three-and-a-half years of his seven year sentence at Borallon Training and Correctional Centre, and is now eligible to apply for parole.
However, as a New Zealand citizen, Taufao will be deported when bail is granted.
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