Appeal for stricter release conditions against convicted Queensland rapist Nigel Patrick Robinson

One of Queensland’s most vile sex offenders who abused a nine-year-old girl while on bail was released unopposed with his latest release order now under the microscope of the Attorney-General.

Former Gympie resident Nigel Patrick Robinson earned a name as one of Queensland’s most vile sex offenders after he stalked a woman at a shopping centre and raped her at knifepoint.

The state’s Attorney’s General has made a push for stricter release conditions to be imposed on one of Queensland’s most vile sex offenders, who sexually abused a nine-year-old girl while on bail for a vicious rape.

Former Gympie resident Nigel Patrick Robinson earned a name as one of Queensland’s most vile sex offenders after he stalked a woman at a shopping centre and raped her at knifepoint in the late 90s.

Robinson, 18 at the time, then indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl at a Gympie Catholic Primary while on bail for the rape.

He was declared a dangerous sexual offender and, in 2008, was ordered to be kept in jail indefinitely.

But Robinson has been in and out of custody like a “revolving door” in recent years under various supervision conditions, despite the previous Attorney-General battling to keep him jailed as a dangerous prisoner.

Robinson’s latest release order – made in March 2024 – was put under the microscope in Brisbane’s Court of Appeal this week after the Attorney-General raised concerns that it didn’t appropriately address his drug issues.

His release under supervision was unopposed at that time, but counsel for the Attorney-General has since argued that it had been an error to remove the requirement that Robinson abstain from using illicit drugs during the supervision order.

It was submitted that cannabis had been an “issue in (Robinson’s) previous offending” and that meth had a “disinhibiting effect”.

A doctor who had assessed Robinson gave the opinion that his substance-use condition “seems to have been the trigger for the revolving door in the last few years”.

Inside the Wolston Correctional Centre. Picture: File

Robinson had been brought back before the court in March 2022 for possessing methamphetamine, after he struggled to escape the drug while incarcerated at the Wacol dangerous sex offender precinct.

The appeal documents published this week revealed Robinson more recently tested positive to both meth and buprenorphine while under supervision in the community.

“Drug use by (Robinson), particularly methylamphetamine, has resulted in a number of contraventions during the history of his release on a supervision order,” noted presiding Justice Susan Brown.

The Justice presiding over the March release order, Melanie Hindman, had said the purpose of Robinson’s supervision order wasn’t to directly manage his illicit drug use.

“It is to protect the community from violent and serious sexual offending, and it has been achieving that aim,” Justice Hindman stated at the time.

She said his drug use was “causative of an unhelpful cycle” and recognised that the “disinhibiting nature of drugs such as methamphetamine … does increase the risk of sexual recidivism”.

But she ultimately concluded there were sufficient conditions in place to ensure the protection of the community – noting Robinson had used methamphetamine for a number of years without sexually reoffending.

On appeal, Justice Brown found that Justice Hindman had carefully considered Robinson’s history of sexual offending when evaluating his conditions.

She noted Queensland Corrective Services maintained the power to drug test Robinson regardless.

Justice Brown said the decision “does not provide a licence to (Robinson) to engage in drug use” and said there was no evidence the drug order would affect his risk of sexually reoffending.

“(Robinson) is to be dealt with by the normal processes of the law that apply to any other citizen if they commit such an offence,” Justice Brown said.

In a decision delivered on Friday, November 1, the appeal was dismissed.

Robinson currently remains in the community, subject to a supervision order that was extended in March this year until March 23, 2026.