Parole denied for Haydn Christy, the man who abducted and sexually assaulted jogger in Whangarei

Haydn Christy during sentencing in the High Court in Whangarei for abducting and raping a woman jogger. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A man who abducted a jogger and subjected her to a prolonged sexual and physical assault has had his hopes of an early release from prison dashed, for now.

Haydn Christy was jailed in 2016 for 12 years. He had a minimum non-parole period of eight years, and first went before the Parole Board in April 2024.

He was seen again by the board last month and appeared set for release bar one sticking point; where was he going to live once released from prison?

After that hearing the board told him he’d spoken well, and scheduled another hearing this month so he could sort out accommodation.

However, a different panel crushed Christy’s hopes this morning after he proposed a rural location living with his support people.

“I personally don’t think residing in a remote town is appropriate for you,” panel convener Richard Marchant said.

“I think that the previous board have it exactly right and you have high reintegration needs.”

Christy pleaded guilty in 2016 in the High Court at Whangārei to abduction for the purpose of sexual violation, threatening to kill, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and four charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

The charges followed an early morning attack on a woman jogging on the popular Hātea Loop Walkway near Whangārei.

Christy repeatedly punched the woman, hit her with a rock and forced her into his car where he drove her home and sexually violated her.

He forced her to watch pornography before sexually abusing her further and threatening to kill her.

Afterwards he drove her to a city street and dumped her there before a member of the public found her.

The attack sparked a rally with thousands of residents turning up to walk the track in a show of solidarity and to raise money for Christy’s victim. Lights were also installed on previously unlit sections of the track.

‘It’s something out of a horror movie Mr Christy’

On Tuesday, Christy was asked whether he thought his victim had moved on since the assault.

“I’m hoping so, I hope she has,” he responded.

Police at the scene of the abduction in 2016 on Whangarei’s popular Hatea Loop. Photo / John Stone

“It beggars belief that you would drive around in a car looking for a victim, you see a woman running, and you decide that you’re going to take her back home and rape her….you grabbed her, on the side of the road, punched her repeatedly, hit her over the head with a rock and told her if she’s going to continue to scream you’re going to stab her and kill her, and then you take her home and beat her again, make her watch pornography and then you indulge yourself,” panel convenor Richard Marchant said in response.

“Do you seriously think she’s moved on from that?”

“No,” Christy replied after a moment.

“You put a pillowcase over her head. It’s something out of a horror movie Mr Christy.”

Marchant went on to say that Christy still had three years remaining on his full sentence and that “parole is a privilege to be earned”.

“What can you tell us given what you did, that’s going to provide us with any comfort that you’re not going to do this again?,” Marchant asked before adding “because the next time you’ll kill someone”.

“Um. What can I tell you,” Christy said.

“I used to bottle up my negative thoughts, my beliefs, to a point where there was all anger and blame for the stuff that went on in my life. I know this isn’t an excuse (for) what I’ve done.”

“I’m deeply remorseful for what has happened.”

Christy has completed every rehabilitation course offered to him in prison, has been in self-supported care for nearly a year and has spent six months working outside the wire.

At his parole hearing last month he told the board that some of those programmes had helped him “find himself” and that he felt “uplifted”.

“I’m a different person to what I was in 2016,” he told that panel of the board.

“I had to look at myself in the mirror and ask myself how I got into this position by doing this.”

The panel also asked Christy about the attack, and what he thought about it now.

“In my mind it’s unforgivable… I’m ashamed,” he said.

“I feel for the victim... the trauma I put her through… I have a young daughter myself.”

Christy said he had strong family support outside prison and was focused on rebuilding those connections upon release.

“I’m getting old now,” he said.

The panel at Christy’s April hearing appeared impressed by his progress in prison and scheduled a hearing for May. Generally, the less space between parole hearings indicates that an inmate is nearing release.

In Christy’s case, the only sticking point was that his supported accommodation had fallen through.

And while he had sorted new accommodation by today’s hearing, the board didn’t think it was suitable for him to be so physically isolated, even if he had support people near him.

The board declined early release and will see Christy again in several months.

Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals. He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022.