A woman who was on parole for armed robberies is back behind bars after breaking into two cars and shunning Probation.
Cyenna Diane Allimain Grace-Ngaro (24) was scheduled to be sentenced in the Dunedin District Court yesterday on charges of unlawfully interfering with vehicles but Judge Michael Turner said Probation had been unable complete a report on the defendant.
Grace-Ngaro had missed the first interview on February 16 and a second one was arranged to be conducted over the phone on March 2.
Pre-sentence reports are provided to a judge to inform them of a defendant’s background. They commonly assess issues such as remorse and make a sentencing recommendation.
When the Probation officer spoke to Grace-Ngaro there was a lot of background noise because she was in the company of friends, the court heard.
The defendant refused to go to another room or get the others to leave. Instead she was heard getting into a car.
Grace-Ngaro’s final words to the interviewer before she hung up were: ‘‘I have things to do.’’
Yesterday Judge Turner effectively cleared her calender by remanding her in custody so the necessary paperwork could be completed.
He noted Grace-Ngaro was on parole in October at the time of the car break-ins and subsequent joy-ride.
She had not been engaging with her parole conditions ‘‘in a meaningful way,’’ the judge said.
Counsel Brendan Stephenson offered an apology on behalf of his client for her interactions with Probation.
Grace-Ngaro had only ended the phone call abruptly because there was ‘‘an emergency’’ and she had to pick someone up, he said.
Judge Turner said he was sceptical.
In December 2018, Grace-Ngaro was jailed for three and a-half years on charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, theft, shoplifting, burglary and assault.
She will be sentenced in June.
