CHILD sex offender Adam Gilbert Jolly trembled and wept in the dock yesterday as he pleaded guilty to abducting and assaulting a little Wagga girl.
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The 29-year-old, of North Albury, was arraigned in Wagga District Court on five charges and convicted after he lodged his pleas with Judge Stephen Norrish.
Jolly earlier this year admitted his guilt in Wagga Local Court and was committed for sentence in the District Court.
The sentencing was yesterday adjourned part-heard to the October sittings of Wagga District Court after Jolly’s barrister, John Weir, told Judge Norrish that a psychological report on his client would not be ready for six to eight weeks.
Jolly snatched a six-year-old girl off the street in front of her home, driving her away, sexually assaulting her and taking her back near her home on February 14 last year.
Wagga was gripped with fear after the attack, which sparked a massive police hunt that ended with Jolly’s arrest in Albury on August 25 last year.
The court heard yesterday that Jolly had been harassed while at Junee Correctional Centre over the past two weeks as he waited for his case to be heard, including prisoners urinating in his cell while he was at court.
Jolly has pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault of a person under 16 and single counts of sexual intercourse with a person under 10 (depriving liberty), take and detain a person with intent to obtain an advantage (sexual gratification) and attempting sexual intercourse with a person under 10.
“Do you continue your pleas of guilty to that charge?”
Judge Norrish asked Jolly after each charge was read to him.
“Yes, Your Honour,” Jolly replied each time.
Members of the young girl’s family were in the court room as Corrective Services officers led Jolly up from the cells into the dock.
Judge Norrish immediately noticed something was wrong with Jolly.
“You seem to be shaking, what is your difficulty at the moment?” the judge asked Jolly.
Jolly did not reply.
Mr Weir asked Judge Norrish if he could speak with his client for a moment.
After a brief conversation, Jolly sat down and the arraignment began.
Max Pincott for the Crown handed up to Judge Norrish the agreed facts of the case, Jolly’s criminal history and a victim’s impact statement written by the youngster’s mother.
Mr Pincott said the statement would not be read aloud in court.
He made a successful application for the case to remain in Wagga.
“The main reason is that the (victim’s) family is here,” Mr Pincott said.
Judge Norrish raised the issue of Jolly’s safety.
“I was told last time he came to court he had some problems and he came into court trembling, I don’t know what the situation is,” Judge Norrish said.
Mr Weir said Jolly was concerned that he might be kept at Junee until October.
Judge Norrish said he had no control over where Jolly would be kept, but he made a recommendation that at the first opportunity Jolly be transferred to the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater in Sydney and that all necessary steps be taken to ensure his safety and security.
Judge Norrish also told the court he had wanted to get the sentencing process under way this sittings of Wagga District Court, even without the medical report being ready, because the offence happened 18 months ago and Jolly was arrested a year ago.
“Justice delayed is justice denied for everybody,” Judge Norrish said.
He said the longer the delays in finalising the case the worse the ordeal was for the family of the victim.
“The truth is, people wish to have things to be completed sooner rather than later and they can move on with their lives,” the judge said.