Mother 'delighted' by parole decision

Kylie Smith. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The mother of murdered Owaka teen Kylie Smith says she is "absolutely delighted" to have five years off from having to argue to keep her daughter's murderer in prison.

The Parole Board yesterday released its decision to postpone for five years parole hearings for Paul Bailey (51), who raped and murdered 15-year-old Kylie while she was out riding her horse in 1991.

The board will not consider his parole again until 2021, while he undergoes significant psychological treatment.

Dawn Smith, of Owaka, said yesterday it was a great relief to get a break from the constant stress of parole hearings.

"We've got five years now to lead our lives normally, whatever that is, and not worry about [parole hearings]. It's just an absolute relief to forget about him for a while."

"I'm sick of him being in my life, but that's the way it is ..."

She intended to write to the board to thank it for the decision.

"It makes life so much easier. If it's for a couple of years, or three years, you've got to know at the next April, or whatever it is, that you've got to start thinking about 'what are you going to say to the parole board this time'?"

In its postponement decision, released yesterday, the Parole Board said Bailey was to appear before it last Tuesday but decided not to appear or be represented by a lawyer, telling the board instead he "could not be bothered" attending.

Bailey has been in prison for nearly 25 years for the murder of Kylie on November 1, 1991.

A month before the rape and murder of Kylie, Bailey was charged with attempted rape in Ettrick and was on bail at the time of the Owaka 15-year-old's death.

He was armed with a .22 calibre rifle when he approached Kylie, who was riding a horse.

He forced her into his car then drove into an area of bush, where he raped and murdered her.

He was convicted for the crimes and imprisoned for life.

The board noted Bailey had been convicted of "terrible crimes against a range of victims".

Although Bailey had completed a programme for child sex offenders, he was "exited" from the graduates' group and had been waitlisted to undertake an extended period of individual psychological treatment for a period of two years, then would need to complete further "reintegrative" activities before release, it said.

"On the best-case scenario, this process will take at least four years, if not longer. It depends upon the availability of psychological treatment and Mr Bailey's engagement in it."

But "his message to the board today suggests a complete lack of commitment to change".

The board declined Bailey's parole in April, and was meeting this time to discuss postponing his next hearing.

It was satisfied there were grounds to make a postponement order of the maximum period of five years.

Last year, an option to postpone parole hearings in certain circumstances was increased from three years to five.

A board spokesman said the board had imposed the maximum postponement fewer than 10 times since.

In 2010 Bailey's next parole hearing was postponed for three years.

The board denied him parole in 2013, 2014 and last year.

Mrs Smith and her late husband, Bevan, fought to keep Bailey in prison, for postponements of his parole hearings, and for changes to the justice system.

Mr Smith died, aged 60, on Christmas Day, 2011.

"My husband took the death of Kylie so badly, he never really got over it," Mrs Smith said

Paul Bailey timeline

• 1989-90: Raped a 12-year-old girl in Ettrick.
• 1991: Attempted rape, granted bail.
• November 1, 1991: Raped and murdered Kylie Smith at Owaka.
• November 2, 1991: Arrested.
• February 1992: Sentenced to life imprisonment.
• June 2005: Sentenced to three years' jail for 1989-90 rape.
• Parole 2001-10: Parole repeatedly declined.
• 2010: Parole hearings postponed for three years.
• May 2013: Denied parole.
• April 2015: Denied parole
• April 2016: Denied parole.
• August 2016: Parole hearings postponed until 2021.