Alexander: Robbing dying man no 'burglary'

Someone needs to tell the Parole Board that robbing a battered man as he lies dying in the street is not just a 'burglary', United Future MP Marc Alexander said today.

"This is not like jumping through a window and nicking someone's VCR," he said.

Mr Alexander was responding to the board's justification for not inviting the mother of murdered pizza delivery driver Michael Choy to the parole hearing for Casie Rawiri, who robbed Mr Choy as he lay dying. The case was classified at the level of a burglary and by that reasoning, there was no need for victims to attend the hearing.

"This crime was about as low as a human being can get. The sentencing judge called her a 'vulture' and I'm not going to disagree," Mr Alexander said.

Yesterday Mr Alexander slammed the board for not even telling Rita Croskery when Rawiri would appear before it, and only allowing her a written submission.

"If the Parole Board chooses to classify this as a 'burglary', then not only is it failing to enter into the spirit of the Victims Rights Act, but frankly it is demonstrating an appalling lack of judgment and taste," he said.

"People have had enough of this high-handed rubbish. Rita Croskery wants to be there and Rita Croskery should be there on that basis alone."

"It's time that victims' came first and that isn't happening here," he said.

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