A Wairarapa man who cheated death 19 years ago is about to embark on a speaking tour telling of how he lived through the experience, only weeks after a parole board again declined to release his would-be killer from jail.
Featherston businessman and entrepreneur Noel Hayes will kick off the tour
in Martinborough, the town where he almost lost his life to gunman Michael Busch in November 1989. He will then speak at venues throughout the lower North Island, in Auckland and other northern centres and at a later date in Australia.
Mr Hayes, who is part-owner of a computer business, will be raising money for the Step-Up Foundation a non-profit organisation that uses inspirational people from all walks of life as role models for teenagers to educate them and "excite them" about their future prospects in life and business.
The 53-year-old owes his life to a neighbour's call as Busch lined him up for the coup de grace, having blasted him in the shoulder, arm and lower back, and to the gunman's fear of spiders as he took the opportunity when Busch was distracted to roll under his house.
Not so lucky was 14-year-old Ian Silby, who was pursued by Busch into the Hayes home and shot dead as he tried to hide in the toilet.
For years after the shootings Mr Hayes was reluctant to tell his story but, although he still bears the physical and mental scars of that fateful day, he has worked hard to put his life back together and has recently started to speak out.
He said he lives by the Step-Up philosophy that "if it's possible for me, it's possible for you" and now accepts he survived his ordeal for a reason.
The New Zealand Parole Board turned down a plea by Busch to be freed at a hearing held on February 26. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Silby and the attempted murder of Mr Hayes, serving 12 years before being paroled in 2002.
Busch was only free for six months when he was recalled to Manawatu Prison for breaching his parole conditions and has been in jail ever since.
He has applied for parole each year since his recall and at the February hearing the board made mention of Busch now being aged 50, having been sent to prison in the first instance for "an extremely nasty murder".
Whereas the psychological assessment of Busch was generally "positive and helpful", things had changed since his last parole appearance.
Then it had been hoped he could have been released into the care of a man who had subsequently suffered a stroke and was now in need of care himself.
As a result, Busch was before the board without any outside accommodation to go to, without a release plan or details on risk or safety should he be freed.
"In those circumstances, of course he will not be released."
The panel convener Judge David Carruthers said Busch had been told his application for release was being denied because there was no substantial structured, nor comprehensive release proposal with proper support.
Busch had been given no promises for the future.
Mr Carruthers said Busch had "minimised" answers to questions put to him by board members and this was a source of "continuing concern".
A psychologist who knew Busch well and had worked with him for years had assessed him as being at low risk of general reoffending.
"The key to success for Busch is in a very well-supported and structured release proposal that is of a continuing nature and not of short-term duration," Mr Carruthers said.
The February hearing was the first in the past six years Noel Hayes had not attended to fight the possible release of Busch.
He said he had been ill and could not get to the hearing but that, in is opinion, Busch should not be released and would always be a threat to young people.
It had taken Busch until last year to finally admit to a parole board hearing that he had committed the murder of Ian Silby to hide his homosexuality.
He had even got engaged while in prison in an attempt to bolster his chances of release, but had called that off when deciding to admit he was homosexual.
The breach of parole that led to his recall to jail, having served 12 years, was for taking children to school and picking them up again.
Mr Hayes said the February hearing had seemed to put some stock in the fact Busch was now 50 years old, but that was irrelevant.
"The place for him is in custody."
A Wairarapa man who cheated death 19 years ago is about to embark on a speaking tour telling of how he lived through the experience, only weeks after a parole board again declined to release his would-be killer from jail.
Featherston businessman and entrepreneur Noel Hayes will kick off the tour
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