Wilson loses bid to change release conditions

Stewart Murray Wilson has been turned down by the Parole Board for a change to his release conditions.

Wilson had 17 special conditions imposed on him as part of his parole in August. He lives in a house within the grounds of Whanganui Prison.

Wilson was sentenced to 21 years in prison on March 15, 1996 for serious sexual and violent offending against women and girls. He was also sentenced on stupefying and bestiality charges. His sentence ends on December 1, 2015.

At a hearing at Whanganui Prison on December 11, Wilson questioned why he had to pay rent and power costs of $100 a week and if he could drive a car, or scooter, by himself.

He also asked for more freedom to attend events such as concerts at the Wanganui opera house, and midnight mass.

His application to drive a vehicle on his own was turned down and the board said paying rent was part of his integration into society.

The board said ``while he seems to be complying with all his release conditions at the moment, we accept his Probation Officer's view that this is because of the level of supervision he is subject to''.

It also found that a ``cautious approach'' was needed because of the ``the nature and extent of his offending, his failure to accept responsibility for that offending, and his history of non compliance with rehabilitative interventions in custody''.

He next goes before the Parole Board in March.