A Wanganui man who was mistakenly set free from Wanganui District Court, having served a fraction of an 18-month prison sentence, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of escaping custody.
Ricky Stampa, 27, had served almost two months of his sentence for reckless driving and driving while disqualified when he appeared in court on October 28 for a defended hearing on additional charges.
Stampa successfully defended an allegation that he stole a $97 torque wrench, and the theft charge was dismissed by Judge Michael Behrens.
However, instead of being taken back to prison, Stampa was mistakenly set free from the courthouse.
Police issued a warrant for his arrest and started a search.
Twenty-seven days after he was set free, Stampa handed himself in to police, saying he "didn't know" he was wanted.
Stampa appeared in the Wanganui District Court yesterday in front of Judge David Cameron and was remanded in custody to reappear on February 7 for a status hearing.
As he was taken back down to the cells, Stampa loudly joked that his charge had been dismissed.