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Offender Databases Mervyn Scobie

Mervyn William Scobie

Alias

.

Offences

Multiple sexual violation, rape, indecent assault, attempted sodomy, unlawful sexual connection by vaginal penetration (digital), against girls under 12 from 1974 to 1990

Victims

.

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1941

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 10 years 6 months in June 2001
Changed upon appeal to preventive detention!
Eligible for parole June 2011

Background
From Christchurch Press story 2nd September 2000
"A man facing a charge of sexual violation, and three charges of indecent assault on girls under 12 years old, was remanded in custody for a pre- depositions conference on October 5. Mervyn William Scobie, 59, unemployed, was refused name suppression, but suppression of the offence dates was granted by Judge Erber."

From Christchurch Press story 8th June 2001
A sex offender already serving a 10 years six months sentence has, for the second time, narrowly avoided preventive detention. Last month the man was sentenced to six years six months prison on five charges of indecent assault, one of inducing an indecent act, one of rape, and one of attempted sodomy. The offending was against two Invercargill schoolgirls and happened in the 1970s. The prison term was added to a sentence of four years that the man was serving for a previous sex offence.

Imposing the 10 year six month cumulative sentence three weeks ago, Justice Panckhurst said he had decided against an indefinite sentence of preventive detention "by a narrow margin". He warned that if the 59-year- old man came back to court for sexual offending, the result would inevitably be preventive detention. However, yesterday the man, who has name suppression, appeared again in the High Court for sentence after pleading guilty to an indecent assault committed between 1986 and 1987 when he was living in Canterbury. The five-year-old complainant visited his family home with her mother and siblings.

While the children were playing a game of hide and seek the man indecently assaulted her. The offending was not reported until this year. Jeff McCall, defending, described it as an isolated incident. However, Justice Panckhurst said it confirmed the worst of the defendant, showing him to be an "opportunistic predator on young children". Crown prosecutor Phil Shamy said the latest offence "tipped the balance" in favour of preventive detention. Justice Panckhurst imposed a six- month prison sentence, bringing the total term to 11 years. His decision was influenced by Mr Shamy's indication that the six year six month sentence would be the subject of an appeal by the Crown.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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