State’s justice system slammed as man on bail for child sex offences arrested for alleged assault of teen

As Anthony Sampieri appeared in court over the ­alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in a dance school toilet while he was on parole, it was revealed that a man given Supreme Court bail over child sex offences had been arrested for the alleged sexual assault a teenage girl.

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The state’s justice system was yesterday slammed as “madness” as another girl was allegedly assaulted by a man who should have been behind bars.

“The system’s broken,” NSW opposition leader Michael Daley said.

While Anthony Sampieri appeared in court over the ­alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in a dance school toilet while he was on parole, it was revealed that a man given Supreme Court bail over child sex offences had been arrested for allegedly ­attacking a teenage girl.

Embattled Corrective Services minister David Elliott was also under fire again after a sex offender was able to use a prison phone to harass his 14-year-old victim.

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A court sketch of Anthony Sampieri as he appeared via video link at Waverly Court on Monday. Artwork: Vincent de Gouw

Mr Daley said the situation was a “horror story”.

“When I talk about the madness that’s descended upon Sydney it is not just concrete and steel. It’s now infected the justice system,” Mr Daley said.

Mr Daley has pledged a full public inquiry into the state’s parole system if he is elected in the March state election.

As her law and order ministers, including Attorney-General Mark Speakman, scramble to investigate the decisions which have outraged the community, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state had the country’s toughest bail and parole laws.

“We’ve got the strongest and toughest laws in the ­nation,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“I don’t apologise for them.

“We do everything to keep the community safe. If there’s more we need to do we will. Our absolute priority is to make sure that people who should be behind bars are there.”

Mr Speakman said he had urgently ordered a transcript of the decision by Acting Justice Peter Hidden to grant John Burns bail on October 22 on multiple counts of having sexual intercourse with an ­underage girl and impersonating a police officer.

John Blair Burns was granted bail on October 22. Picture: Facebook

Burns was bailed on multiple counts of having sexual intercourse with an ­underage girl. Picture: Facebook

Burns, 28, was arrested after his car was stopped in the Cardiff area on Sunday and a 13-year-old passenger claimed he had sexually assaulted her.

“The allegations in these cases are appalling and my thoughts are with the teenagers involved as well as their families,” Mr Speakman said.

“I am determined to get to the bottom of what happened.”

He said he had asked NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Lloyd Babb SC, who had opposed bail, why his office did not challenge the decision to free Burns on bail.

Sampieri, 54, had served five years of a seven-year sentence for the sexual assault of a 60-year-old woman in 2012 when he was paroled last year.

Mr Elliott said he was reviewing both why parole was granted and also why Sampieri’s parole was not revoked when he told parole officers he was using ice two months ago.