Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Drug addict who confessed to killing a dealer in an ambush to remain behind bars

Leighton Keith
By Leighton Keith
Open Justice multimedia journalist, Whanganui·NZ Herald·
15 Jun, 2022 05:11 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

James Mills, who confessed to killing a drug dealer after shooting him in the chest in 2009, remains a risk to the community and has been denied parole. Photo / 123RF

James Mills, who confessed to killing a drug dealer after shooting him in the chest in 2009, remains a risk to the community and has been denied parole. Photo / 123RF

A convicted killer who confessed to shooting a drug dealer after a deal went sour remains a risk to the community and has been denied parole.

James Andrew Mills, also known as Jamie Mills, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 after admitting shooting Jamie Faulkner in an ambush at a Palmerston North flat in September 2009.

The 42-year-old, who attempted to appeal against his conviction in 2020, claiming the gun went off in a struggle, has been behind bars for about 12 years.

Mills' girlfriend, Marie Parker, had paid Faulkner $140 for methamphetamine but he failed to deliver so she lured him to the house claiming she would be alone and would give him another $40 for the drugs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After Faulkner arrived Mills shot him in the chest with a gun he kept loaded in the laundry.

Faulkner wasn't killed immediately and was able to wrestle the firearm from Mills before fleeing from the house but collapsed and died.

Mills, who was on bail for burglary and firearms offences at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a firearm.

He appeared before the Parole Board for the second time in May 2022.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The board noted Mills had a record of misconducts in prison but his conduct had significantly improved and while initially refusing to complete a drug treatment programme he had finished it after being transferred from Whanganui Prison to Hawke's Bay.

"He has had very good reports from both the Dependency Treatment Programme and the Medium Intensity Rehabilitation Programme and it is very positive to see the work that he has done on his rehabilitation," board chair Sir Ron Young said.

Mills, who had previously done some engineering work and had a qualification as a lab technician, had completed all of his rehabilitation treatment, and his lawyer Debbie Goodlet sought parole.

The board, however believed Mills remained an undue risk and needed to do some reintegration work before he could be safely released.

"The way forward, we think, for him is for guided releases, outer self-care and release to work.

"Doing well in all of those areas will illustrate that he can function well in society and that we can be confident that the rehabilitation programmes he has undertaken have made a significant difference to his conduct."

The board would next consider Mills for parole before the end of February 2023.

Parker was initially charged with being party to murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter during her trial and was sentenced to six years and four months' jail.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Body found in Whanganui River

30 May 02:34 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Regional events fund delivers boost

30 May 12:59 AM
Sport

'Honoured': Pétra Allen steps into role as Whanganui Rugby chair

29 May 10:04 PM

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Body found in Whanganui River

Body found in Whanganui River

30 May 02:34 AM

The death is being referred to the Coroner.

Regional events fund delivers boost

Regional events fund delivers boost

30 May 12:59 AM
'Honoured': Pétra Allen steps into role as Whanganui Rugby chair

'Honoured': Pétra Allen steps into role as Whanganui Rugby chair

29 May 10:04 PM
Gone for good? Troublesome freedom camping sites on chopping block

Gone for good? Troublesome freedom camping sites on chopping block

29 May 05:00 PM
Explore the hidden gems of NSW
sponsored

Explore the hidden gems of NSW

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP