The brother of a New Zealand man facing serious sexual assault charges in Canada has been accused of helping him flee the country two years ago.
New Zealand police have been searching for Michael Farley since he cut off his electronic bracelet while on home detention in July 2011 and fled the country using a false passport.
Farley, 39, of Palmerston North, was arrested in Vancouver on Friday and charged with several offences including kidnapping and stupefying.
His older brother, Kevin Farley, has now been charged with helping him obtain a false passport and will appear in the Palmerston North District Court on Thursday morning.
Canadian media say Farley was picked up under the identity of Robert Clarke on 9 March and connected with a violent attack on a woman only later.
He is accused of beating and tying up a 42-year-old sex worker who was further injured when she was dragged behind his van while trying to jump from the vehicle.
Detective Sergeant Dave Thompson, of Palmerston North, says for now they just have to wait for the case to play out in Canada.
He says he wants Farley extradited or deported as soon as the Canadian courts have finished with him.
Farley was due to be sentenced on a charge of perverting the course of justice when he fled.
Labour seeks review
Labour's justice spokesperson Andrew Little says a review is needed into how effective the monitoring technology is.
He says the authorities need to know what went wrong, so it doesn't happen again.
The Corrections Department says a security guard visited Farley's home within an hour of him leaving and police were then notified.
It says his family members were contacted and a warrant to arrest him was issued.
Recovering at home after seven days in hospital
Earlier on Monday, Jordan Armstrong of the Vancouver radio station CKNW told Morning Report it was a very serious attack: "According to police, he nearly killed her. The woman spent seven days in hospital and she's now recovering at home."
Mr Armstrong says Farley has been in Canada for two years. He says police are trying to find out if other attacks are connected to him but at this stage they have no evidence.
