A female police officer who was left for dead after being hit on the head with a rock by a drug addict has begged the parole board to keep the ‘animal’ that attacked her behind bars.
Sergeant Samantha Barlow was on her way to work in Sydney’s busy Kings Cross in 2009 when she was attacked by Roderick Holohan, who fractured her skull, broke her nose and injured her neck.
Holohan was sentenced to 21 years behind bars in 2010 for the vicious attack, but appeared in the Sydney West Trial Court on Thursday for a hearing on his possible parole.
Nearly 15 years after the brutal attack, Sergeant Barlow told media outside court that her attacker could “go live a great life somewhere and stay away from everyone” but “clearly couldn’t follow any law.”
“I hope the release board makes a wise decision, and I would like other female members of the state to feel safe and keep that animal locked up for as long as possible,” she said.
“It’s quite sad that he obviously can’t behave on the street, but even in prison he can’t behave. He’s still committing violent crimes in prison… He clearly doesn’t know how to behave as a human being.”
Sergeant Samantha Barlow (left) was on her way to work in Sydney’s busy Kings Cross in 2009 when she was attacked by Roderick Holohan, who fractured her skull, broke her nose and injured her neck.
Sergeant Barlow’s husband Laurence Barlow, who supported his wife in court, described Holohan as a “coward” who had avoided looking at the couple during the two-hour hearing.
“My wife is the third woman he has tried to kill. Do we just keep doing it until he has four, five, six, twenty chances? How many chances are enough,” Barlow said outside the courtroom.
Before Sergeant Barlow took the stand, he told the State Parole Authority and her attacker that she believed Holohan had “given up his right to parole” after hitting her while already on parole.
‘He beat me until I was unconscious. “When he searched my bag and discovered I was a sergeant, he went back and continued to hit me on the head until he thought he had killed me,” she said.
She continued, “Why are we even considering allowing him back into the community we all live in? He ruined my life. I lost my career. I cannot smell or taste food and never will.
‘I have been treated by a neuropsychologist for the past fifteen years because of what he did to me. Surely he is not entitled to any form of freedom until he has served 100 percent of his sentence.”
When he appeared before the parole board, state Rep. Ghassan Kassisieh argued that Holohan should remain behind bars in lieu of possible “reclassification,” allowing for a gradual parole.
In reclassifying Holohan while in custody, Mr Kassisieh said Holohan would be eligible for supervised and temporary leave to venture into the community before the end of his sentence in four years.
He told the authority that Holohan had a “high risk of violent reoffending” and had allegedly committed offenses while in custody, including intimidation and having a weapon in his cell.
“These are warning signs that the state believes should be given due weight and attention, and a more cautious approach may be taken at this time,” the representative said.
Mr Kassisieh said the previous intention to grant parole was based on “practical support” Holohan allegedly received from the William Wilberforce Foundation, including housing.
But, he said, it had now become clear that Holohan would only be given shelter for five days after his release and that he was not doing so now, even though he had previously been involved with the foundation.
Mr Kassisieh admitted that Holohan had shown improvement in his behavior and argued that waiting for the decision to grant parole would allow him to ‘make up for’ that improvement.
Sergeant Samantha Barlow told media outside court that her attacker could “go live a great life somewhere and stay away from everyone” but “clearly couldn’t follow any law.”
For his part, Holohan’s lawyer, Bill Agha, told the parole authority that his client had completed all stages of the custodial program while behind bars and had “reduced the number of incidents of misconduct in custody.”
While conceding Holohan would have no family and community ties in Sydney if released, Mr Agha argued Holohan needed extended parole supervision, not a phased release.
“Any further time in custody will only increase his institutionalization. Whether there is a phased release plan or not, he needs that support,” Mr Agha told the Authority.
Mr Agha told the Authority that Holohan had come from a significant disadvantage and had spoken to the Wilberforce Foundation and recognized that they provided a pathway to future employment.
The parole board has reserved sentencing, which will be delivered at a later date.
Sergeant Barlow was walking to work in Sydney’s busy entertainment district when her skull was crushed, her nose broken and her neck injured in the brutal and savage attack.
Holohan admitted to the attack and was convicted for that and two separate offences; an attempted robbery of a woman in Sydney the night before and the robbery of a woman in Wollongong.
During the hearing, Holohan was often heard mumbling, even after he claimed he had refused drug treatment. When the hearing adjourned, he said: ‘youse (sic) is joking’.
Outside court, Sergeant Barlow described Holohan as an ‘animal’ who should not be eligible for parole, while her husband Laurence said the safety of the community was at risk.