Immigration Minister Andrew Giles vows to stay amid detainee row

Andrew Giles vows to remain in his job, amid revelations a released detainee who allegedly bashed a grandmother was considered problematic by authorities.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has vowed to remain in his job and says he is looking at how to keep the community safe, amid revelations a released detainee who allegedly bashed a cancer-surviving grandmother in her own home was considered problematic by authorities.

In an evening radio interview, Mr Giles said he could not comment on the details of the alleged robbery and assault of cancer patient Ninette Simons but she was in the nation’s thoughts during her recovery. He also extended an invitation for her to speak to him directly.

Mr Giles said he was talking to state police ministers about further action, and that he had spoken to West Australian Police Minister Paul Papalia about how they could better support alleged victims, indicating that applications were under way to respond to the “most serious and violent ­offenders”.

The Australian can reveal the man charged with the assault, Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, was considered by authorities and support ser­vices to be difficult to work with.

Doukoshkan was arrested on Sunday after allegedly being one of three men who used a stolen police badge to talk their way into the Girrawheen home of Ms ­Simons, 73, and her 76-year-old husband, Philip Simons.

The men then allegedly ­assaulted the pair, leaving Ms ­Simons unconscious, before stealing more than $200,000 of gold jewellery and other items.

The incident occurred two days after Doukoshkan had been bailed after being arrested on a drug-related charge. He had already appeared in court on no fewer than three occasions since he became one of 152 people to be released from indefinite immigration detention after last year’s NZYQ High Court ruling.

The Australian has also confirmed he was not required to wear an ankle bracelet monitor at the time of his alleged offending.

A source in WA’s social ser­vices community told The Australian that Doukoshkan had been seen from the outset as someone who was “difficult”, given his interactions with support services during his time in detention. “He was someone who was difficult to work with and it was clear he was problematic,” they said.

Doukoshkan, a 43-year-old Kuwait-born Iranian, was charged in February over multiple breaches of curfew con­ditions imposed on the immigration detention cohort. In that instance, commonwealth prosecutors did not oppose bail.

Those curfew breach charges against him and several other former detainees were later dropped because they had been issued invalid visas.

Earlier this month, he was sentenced over charges of trespass and driving with an expired licence, copping $400 in fines and $141.50 in court costs; he was again being granted bail while he faced those charges.

Two days before he was allegedly involved in the Simons attacks, he was again bailed after being charged with a drug-related offence.

Doukoshkan was originally put in detention after he failed the character requirement to be granted a visa.

The Australian Federal Police revealed on Tuesday that another released detainee, a 45-year-old Sudanese-born man, had been charged with three counts of failing to comply with his curfew, and one count of failing to maintain a monitoring device.

The man was released on bail and will reappear in Melbourne Magistrates Court in late May.

The latest incidents involving released detainees reinvigorated the ongoing blame-shifting between governments, politicians and departments over how to manage the released cohort.

While the AFP and Australian Border Force are responsible for monitoring released detainees, state police are responsible for investigating state-based offences allegedly committed by the ­cohort.

Anthony Albanese said Ms ­Simons was in the nation’s thoughts after her horror assault, noting that “state bail schemes are run by the states by definition as well”.

The opposition, meanwhile, ramped up its attacks on the government over the saga, with Peter Dutton calling for Mr Giles and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil to be sacked for failing to take responsibility.

The Opposition Leader accused the federal government of failing to present sufficient evidence to the court to keep Doukoshkan behind bars on the three occasions he was bailed.

“Minister Giles is nowhere to be seen.

“Clare O’Neil is in witness protection, she’s not coming out to face the media,” he said.