Serial sex offender Robert Fardon remains in custody as appeal continues
ABC
October 10, 2013, 6:42 pm
A Brisbane court has ruled that serial sex offender Robert Fardon will remain in jail pending the outcome of an appeal against his release.
Fardon has spent about half of his adult life in jail for crimes against women and children, and was given an indefinite sentence in 2003.
But during a periodic review last month a judge ordered he be released under strict supervision.
Fardon was freed last Friday but within hours Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie sought an appeal that saw the sex offender returned to prison.
Justice Philip Morrison today granted the Crown a stay, meaning Fardon will remain in prison until the outcome of the appeal is known.
That could take several weeks.
Justice Morrison cited reports from psychologists indicating Fardon had a high risk of re-offending if exposed to drugs and alcohol in the community.
He argued the primary judge gave insufficient weight to that evidence when deciding to release Fardon from his indefinite jail term.
Fardon was taken to hospital on Sunday for a medical assessment but has since returned to jail.
