New Zealand

Kohu 'unlikely' to reoffend

16:11 pm on 19 August 2015

Dolphy Kohu was released from prison in June, deemed "unlikely" to reoffend. Today he is the subject of a huge police hunt after officers were shot at.

Dolphy Kohu Photo: Supplied

Police are hunting for Kohu, 24, after shots were fired at two officers following a police pursuit near Whanganui in the early hours of this morning.

Kohu has a history of violent crime. In March 2012, he fired a shotgun at a family in Aramoho in Whanganui. One victim was hit and Kohu spent six weeks on the run before being arrested in Wellington.

He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for that attack and was released in June this year. A warrant to arrest him was then issued in July after he breached parole conditions.

Read the full Parole Board decision here

In its June decision, the Parole Board said Kohu's return to prison had not been plain sailing, with two misconducts issued. It also said he had an "unenviable record" for breaching release conditions but they were satisfied he would comply with his parole conditions, as his partner was pregnant.

"We are satisfied that no further breaches are likely given that he has a completely different focus now he has to provide support to his partner."

The board found he was "unlikely to commit any serious offending" in the 10 weeks which remained on his sentence.

Police today confirmed Kohu was one of the occupants of the car that fled police but have not given any further details on his involvement in this morning's events.