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Offender Databases William Stewart

William Alexander Stewart

Alias

Known as "Billy the Hunted One"

Offences

Kidnapping, wounding with reckless disregard for safety, assault (two counts) and threatening to kill his de facto partner in Nelson in September 2005.
Was under supervision and a community work sentence at time for assaulting a female.
Also cultivating cannabis in the early 1990s.
Committed 23 burglaries, unlawfully taking five vehicles, four thefts, unlawfully interfering with a vehicle, escaping from custody, three charges of dangerous driving, three of failing to stop for the police, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a pipe to smoke methamphetamine, and being unlawfully in an enclosed yard while on the run .

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1962

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to just 3 years 3 months in February 2007
Paroled late 2008, went missing February 2009
Sentenced to 7 years 4 months in February 2010
A non-parole period of 4 years 2 months was set

Background
NZ Herald story here
Parole Board spokeswoman Sonja de Friez said Stewart had been released a month short of serving his full sentence of three years and three months for kidnapping and assault.

From Timaru Herald story 3rd February 2007
An Orari man who held his partner captive in a motel was yesterday sentenced to three years and three months' imprisonment. William Alexander Stewart, 45, appeared in the Timaru District Court before Judge David Holderness for sentence on charges of kidnapping, threatening to kill, wounding with reckless disregard for safety, breaching a protection order (three charges), assault with intent to injure, assaulting a female, and breach of community work.

A jury this week found Stewart guilty of the first three charges, and he had pleaded guilty to the latter six charges. He was found not guilty and discharged on charges of injuring with intent to injure and perverting the course of justice. In submissions, Jocelyn Munro (for defence counsel Tony Greig) asked the court to disregard any comments made during the trial that the accused had ruined the victim's life, as the victim impact report noted she had put on weight, had not touched drugs, had a job, and was feeling good about herself.

Ms Munro said the pre- sentence report noted that Stewart had admitted his actions were wrong, and said he realised he needed to put the relationship behind him, so further offending against the victim was unlikely. It did not appear the community was at risk from Stewart, as the situation had been a domestic one. Crown prosecutor Ian Murray said there was a strong need to hold the prisoner accountable for his actions. Aggravating factors included the length of time he detained his partner, repeated threats to kill, and using a knife -- and all in breach of a protection order.

The first incident occurred shortly after an assault that led to the granting of a protection order, and the second after charges arising from the first incident were dropped when the complainant chose not to give evidence. Mr Murray said that while the victim was starting to get her life back on track, the relationship and the offending had a detrimental effect on her for quite some time. The Crown also asked the judge to impose a minimum period in prison. Judge Holderness said the victim impact statement made sad reading, but the victim had now apparently succeeded in getting her life together and was feeling good about herself again.

"Having heard the victim's evidence and in particular the answers to questions put to her in cross-examination, I'm satisfied that you were a domineering partner and and that you subjected her to threatening and violent behaviour on several occasions." Judge Holderness said the sentence of three years, three months total was the minimum and least restrictive sentence the court could reasonably impose given there were two incidents involving serious domestic violence.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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