Probation officer gave killer a second chance

By CATHY ARONSON

A probation officer gave an abusive man, paroled to his partner's home, a second chance after he saw her with black eyes. The man later killed her.

Nikora Allan Turner, aged 32, is serving a life sentence, with a minimum of 13 years, for murdering 42-year-old Taumarunui mother Te Miringa Tipene, also known as Milly Dunn, on August 23 last year.

Two months before the murder, Turner was released from jail, after serving three-quarters of a sentence for assaulting her.

He was sent to live at her home as a condition of his parole.

Two weeks after Turner's release, Ms Dunn's family asked Turner's probation officer to recall him to prison after she was seen with black eyes.

A Corrections Department report, released yesterday, revealed that the probation officer, Frank Mariu, knew Turner had abused Ms Dunn but gave him a second chance.

Corrections Minister Matt Robson said probation officers were now trained to understand controlling relationships. It is also policy to recall a high-risk offender, with no second chance.

Mr Robson said a proposed Sentencing and Parole Bill would give probation officers the power to recall an offender immediately.

He said the legislation might recommend that offenders were not paroled to their victim's home unless it helped rehabilitation.

"Her death made us look really closely at our present probation system and our future parole system, which will be tightened as a tribute to Milly," Mr Robson said.

The report showed that Turner breached his parole conditions by abusing Ms Dunn and not attending relationship or anger counselling.

Mr Mariu was also in charge of telling the parole board that Turner could be paroled to Ms Dunn's home, because she consented to it.

According to Mr Mariu's case notes, obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act, he saw Ms Dunn with black eyes on July 4.

"[Turner] reported with Milly who was wearing dark glasses, however black eye apparent ... Milly stated that she was happy to continue with the relationship but I was not convinced ... I hope to speak with her on an individual basis ... Am unsure whether to recall."

Later, Mr Mariu, with his manager, decided it was impractical to recall Turner to serve the rest of his sentence because it expired only six days later on July 29. It can take weeks to process a recall.

Mr Mariu's notes show that on July 24 he helped Ms Dunn escape to a women's refuge when he discovered Turner had threatened Milly.

Mr Mariu said last night that the department did not allow him to comment.

The Corrections Department report cleared Mr Mariu. This has angered Ms Dunn's older sister, Raewyn Nordstrom.

Ms Nordstrom said her sister would be alive if Turner had never been paroled to her house and had been recalled.

She said Ms Dunn was too afraid of Turner to reject his request to live at her home because he had sent her death threats from Rangipo Prison.

In a letter written to her on May 29 last year he said the options when he was released from jail were: "I stay, I stay and crack you, I crack you and leave, I get life."

Ms Nordstrom, who works for Child, Youth and Family, said once he was released he began beating Ms Dunn immediately, and should have been recalled even if for only a week.

"He breached his parole, they didn't act quick enough and when they did they said it was too late. It wasn't too late - that could have saved her life."

Ms Dunn's 20-year-old daughter, Kahmil Dunn, found her mother's decaying body, six days after Turner had murdered her.

Turner had beaten her from head to foot until her face was unrecognisable, and five of her ribs were broken on either side.

Ms Dunn died from throat injuries after Turner jammed a spade handle against her throat.

Women's Refuge chief executive Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said her organisation had been consulted on the parole bill and would follow its progress.