The man found guilty of a violent crime spree targeting elderly women across Auckland two years ago could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
38-year-old William John Murphy was today sentenced to preventive detention, and will spend at least six years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
A sentence of preventive detention means the jail term is indefinite, and while Murphy could be released on parole, he will be subject to Corrections supervision for the rest of his life.
In July, Murphy was found guilty of 15 charges including aggravated robbery, robbery, burglary, theft, and misusing a document, which dated back to 2013.
On some occasions he used violence against a number of elderly women and threatened them, stealing cash, credit cards and cars.
Five of his victims submitted victim impact statements to the court, saying Murphy's actions had left them scared, frightened and robbed them of being able to act freely in public.
In sentencing, Justice Mark Woolford reflected on Murphy's upbringing, noting his suffering of physical abuse and exposure to domestic violence in the home as a child.
Murphy committed his first offence at age 14, and has offended on a regular basis since then, with convictions of indecent assault and rape.
In June 2007, preventive detention was considered for Murphy when he was convicted on indecent assault and burglary charges.
A sentence of seven years imprisonment was handed down instead, recorded by the judge at the time as an "act of mercy", by allowing him to resume family relationships when he was released.
"Regrettably, you've ignored this warning," said Justice Woolford.
"Moreover this most recent offending occurred while you were subject to a sentence of intensive supervision."
Pre-sentence reports identified Murphy as being likely to reoffend.
"Your offending does appear to be escalating...it is an almost inescapable conclusion that you're an on-going risk," said Justice Woolford.
He said the preventive detention sentence would encourage Murphy to engage deeply in rehabilitation while in prison.
MURPHY'S CRIME SPREE:
The offending began at Auckland Hospital on May 25 2013, when Murphy stole the handbag of a woman who was visiting her father, a patient.
Murphy removed a wallet and set of keys, found the woman's vehicle in the hospital car park, and stole it.
The car was found six weeks later.
On the June 8, he knocked on the door of a unit at a retirement village, told the 81-year-old occupant he was working for the police, and was let inside.
After telling her he was going to use the bathroom, he instead went to a bedroom and looked through her purse, but left empty handed.
On June 17, he entered the reception of a church in Newmarket and rifled through collection bags looking for money.
He went through a handbag and found a set of keys.
While attempting to leave the church, he was asked if he took a set of keys, and after initially denying doing so, handed them back.
Twenty minutes later he made his way to a property on Remuera Rd, and demanded cash from a woman there.
She handed over $580 and after repeatedly being asked not to scream, gave Murphy her car keys and took him through the garage as he demanded.
He left the property in the victim's vehicle.
Three days later Murphy entered the home of a 79-year-old woman in west Auckland while she was out buying groceries.
When she returned, he pushed her onto a bed and bound her wrists together with pantyhose after she began screaming and banging on windows for help.
Her wallet became loose during the ordeal, and Murphy picked up the money and credit cards that came out.
The most violent offending occurred on June 22, when Murphy entered an elderly woman's retirement village unit.
He grabbed the woman, punched her in the face three times, and repeatedly abused her verbally.
After tying the victim's hands together with a piece of cord, Murphy forced her to remove her trousers and underwear, and lie on the floor.
The woman pleaded Murphy not to rape her, and he told her he wouldn't.
After the victim attempted to run away, he held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her, before taking a quantity of cash and a credit card.
The victim suffered substantial swelling and bruising to her face and wrists.
Finally on June 24, Murphy attempted to rob a woman of a handbag at the New World supermarket in Warkworth.
Police arrived shortly after, and pursued Murphy who was driving a stolen car.
A short distance from the Puhoi tunnel, Murphy pulled over, put the car into reverse, and rammed into the police vehicle which had parked behind him.
He then attempted to hide in nearby mangroves before eventually being arrested.
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