New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Hayden Tyron POULTER

Hearing: 5 May 2017 Via AVL from [Withheld] to [Withheld] Prison

Members of the Board:

• Hon. M A Frater (Panel Convenor)
• Judge A Kiernan
• Assoc. Prof. P Brinded
• Ms T Williams-Blyth

In attendance:

• [Withheld]

Support Persons:

• [Withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Hayden Tyron Poulter, aged 55, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for three homicides.  He was also sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder and nine for rape.  These terrible crimes were committed during two separate incidents, a week apart.

2. This happened more than 20 years ago.  Mr Poulter has remained in custody ever since.

3. During that time he has completed the DTU 6 programme (2011), the ASOTP (2012) and individual psychological treatment (1998 to 2002).

4. Mr Poulter last appeared before the Board on 15 June 2016.  At that stage he had been in the inner Self Care Unit at [Withheld] Prison for four years.

5. In declining parole the Board reiterated the need for him to be “tested across various settings” outside the prison before they could be satisfied that his assessed moderate/low risk was other than undue.

6. Since then Mr Poulter has begun the reintegrative journey.

7. He has participated in five guided release outings to the [Withheld], to the community Probation offices in [Withheld], to a site-safe meeting in [Withheld], and to attend an optometrist’s appointment.  We were told that each of these releases progressed without incident.  And we are pleased to note that another guided release is scheduled for two weeks time.

8. However, Mr Poulter accepts that, of themselves, these are not enough and he did not seek parole today.  What he sought was the Board’s support for further reintegration, including a transfer to the outer Self Care Unit and participation in release to work.

9. He remains in the inner Self Care Unit and it is working on release to work as a construction labourer with civilian contractors undertaking building upgrades within the prison.  He has just recently begun working with a psychologist on planning around relationships and future intimate encounters.  He believes these sessions are going well and that there will be a number more before a treatment report is provided.

10. Mr Poulter sought a stand down for three to six months to enable him to progress to the next stage.

11. While, as noted, we support his participation in release to work – indeed it is unrealistic to expect that he can be released without having the opportunity of being challenged in a situation where he meets with members of the public, we are less optimistic than Mr Poulter about the time that it will take for him to be ready for release on parole.  In our view a period of six months on release to work is the bare minimum that it would take before Mr Poulter’s ongoing risk could be realistically assessed.

12. Parole is declined today.  Mr Poulter’s next hearing will be in May 2018 on a date to be advised by the New Zealand Parole Board administration, but by the end of that month, at the latest.

13. An updated psychological assessment report is required for that hearing, focusing particularly on his current risk, the success of any treatment undertaken, and with recommendations as to further interventions, whether in prison or the community.

Hon. M A Frater
Panel Convenor