A Weyburn man, Clifford Howdle,
30, who had just completed half of a seven-year jail term for
sexual assault and unlawful confinement, is in jail awaiting hearings
on 17 charges after he allegedly broke his parole on May 17-18.A Weyburn man, Clifford Howdle,
30, who had just completed half of a seven-year jail term for
sexual assault and unlawful confinement, is in jail awaiting hearings
on 17 charges after he allegedly broke his parole on May 17-18.
Howdle had been sentenced on Oct. 26, 1995, in Weyburn provincial court after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault on two females and unlawful confinement of the second female. Court ordered that he serve at least half of his sentence before he could be eligible for parole.
He had been granted parole on April 15 of this year, and had been an inmate at the minimum-security facility at Riverbend Institution, near Prince Albert, where he had been given a job placement. On May 17, he never showed up to his job, and was caught by late afternoon May 18 by RCMP and charged with 17 criminal offences, allegedly committed in a 36-hour period.
Police allege he committed a sexual assault on a female, then broke into a farm residence. An elderly couple who lived there came home and he allegedly sexually assaulted the female, and took the couple in a vehicle. It is also alleged he went to the Wilkie area where a third female was sexually assaulted.
Altogether Howdle has been charged with five counts of sexual assault, four counts of unlawful confinement, four counts of assault including two with a weapon, possession of a firearm while prohibited, theft of a vehicle, break-and-enter and breach of parole.
He made a court appearance last week in North Battleford, and his matter was set over until Thursday when a bail hearing will be held.
Howdle had first made a request for parole last October, and was denied at the time; he tried again on April 15, and was approved in a 2-1 decision.
At the initial parole hearing in October, board members noted Howdle had completed a number of sex offender treatment programs, and that his history included a head injury from a car accident about six months before the Weyburn offences.
Howdle was arrested in Weyburn in May of 1995, after he led police on a high-speed chase through the city, ending when he struck a light pole at the King Street entrance to Souris Valley. He had sexually assaulted his former common-law wife, and then abducted his wife's friend and drove her to Manitoba and back, committing numerous sexual assaults before he was caught in Weyburn.
According to National Parole documents on the parole hearing, it was noted, "The level of intrusiveness related to the offending was high Ropes and duct tape were used to bind your second victim. Mental anguish was inflicted upon the second victim. The psychological harm inflicted can be considered little other than of major consequence."
In spite of the treatment programs he had taken during his three and a half years, parole board members said in their decision, "The board is very concerned with the manner in which you present yourself with very little display of emotion. We could not determine that your presentation goes beyond knowledge. until those issues (of responsibility) are more fully addressed, the board cannot conclude that your risk could be managed in the community."
At his second parole hearing, where day parole was granted in a 2-1 decision, the approving board members said, "It is apparent that you now take complete responsibility for your violent rapes."
It was also noted he had begun a relationship with a person, who appeared with him at the hearing, who "has full knowledge of your offending behaviour and appears to be a strong support."
His day parole plan, approved by the two parole board members, was to continue the sex offender maintenance program at Riverbend, find employment in the Prince Albert area and continue to develop his new relationship.
The dissenting board member noted there has only been minimal programming since his October parole hearing, adding, "Any attitudinal change is very recent and there has not been sufficient time for adequate internalization. I am unable to conclude that there has been significant attitudinal change since the previous denial. Given the demonstrated capacity for extreme violence without provocation I conclude risk for release is unmanageable."
Since the incident, there have been calls for a review of the parole system, and the Saskatchewan Party asked why the public was not notified of Howdle being at large.
"This man is a convicted rapist. The moment he was at large, the public was at risk. This is another example of negligence in our correctional system where a criminal is given more rights than innocent members of the public," said party leader Elwin Hermanson in a statement from his Regina office.
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