A Christchurch man has appeared in court after removing his GPS tracking and fleeing a mall while under supervision.

The man absconded from two staff following a visit to a shopping centre on Tuesday. Police were notified immediately.

He was arrested last night and charged with breaching a condition of his Interim Supervision Order.

He will return to supervised accommodation.

Corrections Southern Region Operations Director Chris O’Brien-Smith said the man lives in supervised accommodation and had been on a community outing in Hornby with staff as part of his reintegration plan.

“As well as being accompanied by staff, he was being electronically monitored by GPS, however he removed his tracker.”

“We manage people at the direction of the Courts and the New Zealand Parole Board.”

The man is subject to court-imposed Interim Supervision Order, requiring him to comply with a number of conditions which are monitored closely by Community Corrections.

“The safety of the public is our top priority and we will continue to monitor the offender’s compliance with the conditions of his sentence and respond to any breaches.”