Samantha Alampi, a 37-year-old former Northern Territory legal aid worker, has pleaded guilty in the NT Supreme Court to attempting to pervert the course of justice. Alampi admitted to assisting a 19-year-old parolee, who had been convicted of manslaughter, in evading authorities after he removed his ankle monitor in Alice Springs in November 2024. Police apprehended the pair in a hotel room four days after the man breached his parole.
Did You Know? Before his arrest, the 19-year-old parolee had been living at a hostel in Alice Springs for four months following his release from custody for a manslaughter conviction.
How the evasion unfolded
According to a statement of agreed facts tendered in court, Alampi was working as a throughcare coordinator and had been assisting the man with his parole bid. On November 7, the day after the man removed his ankle monitor, his parole officer contacted Alampi to inquire about his whereabouts. Alampi told the officer she did not know where he was, despite having met him the previous night at Braitling Oval.
Court documents reveal that Alampi reserved rooms at two separate Alice Springs hotels, the Diplomat Hotel and the Mercure Resort, under her own name to facilitate the man’s hiding. CCTV footage captured her escorting the parolee into the Diplomat Hotel on the night of November 7. Police eventually raided a room at the Mercure Resort in the early hours of November 10, where they discovered the pair asleep in bed.
Evidence from digital communications
An analysis of Alampi’s phone uncovered a series of text messages exchanged between the pair. The messages show they frequently told each other “love you” and discussed the man’s plans to evade police. In one exchange, the man asked if Alampi wanted to “chill later on tonight,” to which she replied “Yes!!”.
While Alampi reportedly attempted to persuade the man to hand himself in once he told her “cops are coming for me,” the statement of facts notes she also expected him to leave for Darwin. She had been actively involved in packing his belongings at his hostel room, telling police at the time she would store them at work, despite knowing he was intended to return to jail.
Expert Insight: The professional stakes
Expert Insight: This case highlights the significant conflict of interest that occurs when a throughcare coordinator, tasked with supporting an offender’s reintegration, crosses professional boundaries. By using her role to facilitate an escape, Alampi compromised the judicial process she was employed to uphold. Such actions carry severe legal consequences, as they directly undermine the supervised release conditions essential for public safety and parole integrity.
What happens next
Following her guilty plea, Alampi is scheduled to return to the NT Supreme Court for sentencing on June 29. The court will determine the penalty for her attempt to pervert the course of justice, a charge that carries serious implications for those in positions of trust within the legal and correctional systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Samantha Alampi’s professional role?
Alampi was employed as a throughcare coordinator, where she was responsible for assisting the 19-year-old man with his parole bid and his transition back into the community.
How long were police searching for the parolee?
Northern Territory police officers spent four days searching for the man after he removed his ankle monitor on November 6, 2024.
Where was the pair located by police?
Police found the pair sleeping in a room at the Mercure Resort in Alice Springs in the early hours of November 10, 2024.
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How should professional boundaries be enforced to prevent similar breaches in the legal aid sector?
