Mark Middleton granted permanent residence after pressure from lawyer and Sensible Sentencing Trust
Compensation should be awarded for legal fees and loss of job.

20th April 2018

The Sensible Sentencing Trust is delighted that the Minister of Immigration has overridden the senior officials at Immigration New Zealand, and granted permanent residence to Mark Middleton, the stepfather of murdered school girl Karla Cardno.

“We congratulate Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway for his prompt intervention in this matter,” said Sensible Sentencing Trust child abuse spokesman Scott Guthrie.

“While one could argue his decision was a no brainer, it is nevertheless commendable that the Minister has acted so quickly to remedy what was a clear injustice, and yet another smack in the face for Mark Middleton delivered by ‘the system’ in his adopted home.Mark has already lost his much-loved step-daughter in the most terrible way and been hauled before the courts. To kick him out of the country he has called home since the age of four would be outrageous” Guthrie said.

“This whole saga begs a number of questions: who the hell is making such stupid decisions at Immigration New Zealand? Why did it take them seventeen years from the time Mr Middleton become a well known public figure for them to decide he was here unlawfully? Why did it take thirty years since his immigration status became known to them to act? And why did they lock Middleton up, rather than just calling him in? He clearly wasn’t going anywhere,” says Guthrie.

“On a more concerning note, why did immigration New Zealand refuse to disclose Mark’s immigration status to him when his lawyer requested it?”

“Mark’s immigration status is personal information which belongs to him, and under the Privacy Act, Immigration New Zealand is duty bound to allow him to correct any information which is incorrect. We respectfully urge the Minister to call in senior immigration officials for a ‘please explain,” said Guthrie.

“We presume Mark will now have a large legal bill to pay. Surely the only decent thing the government can do is pay that for him, in full. Mark never ought to have been put through this dreadful uncertainty. As well as being locked in a police cell for 40 hours, he has lost his job as a consequence. We call on the government to, as far as is possible, put things right.” ENDS

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