Violent perpetrators exploiting a prison loophole to pressure victims into dropping charges

Violent perpetrators are exploiting a prison loophole to put pressure on domestic violence survivors from behind bars, prompting a leading advocacy group to demand tighter controls.

Alleged domestic violence perpetrators are regularly exploiting a prison loophole to pressure victims into dropping charges, prompting a leading advocacy group to demand tighter controls to protect those at risk.

It comes as a man accused of DV is sentenced to more than 3.5 years in jail for repeatedly using prison phones, and on occasion mail, to pressure his victim into dropping charges, violating an intervention order.

Mary Leaker said more needed to be done to protect victims. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

It is an all-too-common occurrence, according to peak DV advocacy group Embolden - and the organisation says more needs to be done to prevent such breaches.

It is understood inmates are often able to communicate with their victims by recording false names on their call lists, putting their victim on another inmate’s call list, or using third parties to communicate with them.

Some even use children to contact or communicate with victims.

Troy Gregory Corlett, 36, of Paralowie, has been jailed for three years and eight months, with a non-parole period of 22 months, after pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to dissuade a witness from attending as a witness in judicial proceedings, and four counts of contravening an intervention order.

The District Court heard Corlett had been remanded in Yatala Labour Prison after being charged in August 2024 with aggravated assault against his then-partner. He is contesting this charge.

Henry Shepherdson. was able to phone his then-partner and mother of his nine-month-old baby Kobi 149 times from prison in order to coerce, pressure and manipulate her into dropping domestic violence charges against him.. Photos: Courts SA

Two days later, the court was told Corlett began contacting the victim via prison phones, telling her to go to the police station and drop the charges.

Corlett left his victim 25 voicemail messages while behind bars, made 10 phone calls in which he spoke to the victim, and sent her a text message via a third party, the court heard.

On one occasion, Corlett called a friend and asked them to go to the victim’s house, while he remained on the line, and hand her the phone so he could speak to her.

On other occasions he arranged for another prisoner to put the victim on his call list to avoid detection.

In a separate case, which was the subject of a coroner’s inquest in November last year, Henry Shepherdson was able to phone his then-partner and mother of his nine-month-old baby Kobi 149 times from prison in order to coerce, pressure and manipulate her into dropping domestic violence charges against him.

Just weeks after she withdrew the charges, Shepherdson drove Kobi to the Whispering Wall reservoir, near Williamstown, on April 21, 2021 and threw himself and their daughter off the 36m-high dam.

Kobi and Henry Shepherdson died when Henry threw himself and Kobi off the Whispering Wall, Williamstown in the Barossa. Picture SA Police

Both he and Kobi died at the scene.

Embolden chief executive officer Mary Leaker said more needed to be done to protect victims.

“It is important that victim-survivors seeking to drop charges receive specialist support so that instances of coercion can be identified and appropriately responded to,” she said.

“Victim-survivors should have access to information about the dynamics of coercive control and the tactics that the perpetrator may use in seeking to continue their abuse, as well as their rights and available services.”

Ms Leaker also said intervention orders “need to be taken seriously and effectively policed when breached”.

A spokesperson for the Department for Correctional Services said when offenders and alleged offenders came into custody “we use a series of mechanisms to identify them with warning flags and take steps to block them from contacting protected victims through telephone, visit and mail contact“.

A police spokesperson said SAPOL encouraged any person contacted in breach of an intervention order, or any person who fears they were being coerced into dropping charges, to contact police.

Originally published as Violent perpetrators exploiting a prison loophole to pressure victims into dropping charges