John Paul Garay: convicted paedophile sentencing adjourned until June

The sentencing of convicted paedophile John Paul Garay has been adjourned until June after he skipped court last week.

A convicted paedophile who skipped court last week for sentencing has been described as a “suicide risk” at the ACT Supreme Court.

John Paul Garay, 61, was found guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10-16 and six counts of committing an act of indecency against a child in August last year and was due to be sentenced for his crimes last Thursday.

The charges relate to a single male complainant who was a teenager at the time of offending in the 1980s.

However Garay did not appear at court for his sentencing hearing, resulting in Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson issuing a warrant for his arrest.

On Friday ACT Policing located the paedophile at Canberra Hospital.

Garay appeared at the ACT Supreme court on Tuesday after he was discharged from hospital.

Defence counsel Margaret Jones asked for an adjournment to in order to obtain a psychologist report.

She estimated it would take six to eight weeks for the report to be available.

The sentencing of a convicted paedophile who terrorised a teenage boy during the 1980s has been adjourned until June.

Crown Prosecutor Skye Jerome opposed the application and said there was “no evidence of a psychotic or acute mental illness episode”.

Ms Jerome however said despite what she described as a lack of evidence of mental illness she still described Garay as being at a “high risk of suicide.”

The judge ultimately agreed it was necessary to wait for a psychologist’s report before handing down her sentence and adjourned the sentencing date to June.

Garay did not apply for bail and his time spent in custody will be counted towards his sentence.

Justice Loukas-Karlsson described Garay as a “prisoner of risk” and stated he would be housed at the Crisis Support Unit at the Alexander Maconochie Centre while in custody.

Prior to ending the hearing Justice Loukas-Karlsson lamented the delay in sentencing but reaffirmed an adjournment was necessary.

“It is unfortunate that sentencing has been delayed in this case,” she said

“But it’s important that the court is fully informed (in these matters).

“It’s not appropriate to proceed forthwith.”

Garay will remain in custody and is expected to be sentenced for his crimes on June 10.