Dean WICKLIFFE - 04/12/2019

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Hugh Tekahu Dean WICKLIFFE

Hearing: 4 December 2019

at Waikeria Prison via AVL from Christchurch Men’s Prison

Members of the Board:

  • Sir Ron Young – Chairperson
  • Assoc Prof. P Brinded
  • Ms M More

Supporters:

  • [withheld]
  • [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Hugh Tekahu Dean Wickliffe was sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter. He was first imprisoned in 1972. The original conviction was for murder but later reduced to manslaughter.
  2. He is on low security classification.
  3. He has been recalled to prison in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2018.
  4. He has committed 35 offences since his imprisonment for life, many of them extremely serious offending involving drugs and violence. More recently, he has been recalled for breaches of special conditions and driving while intoxicated.
  5. As to the current position, Mr Wickliffe told the psychologist that he recognised that his unhelpful view of the world has got him back to prison on a regular basis.
  6. He is said to have behaved well in prison. There was some possibility of him being on the release to work programme although he may not be eligible because of his age. He has been doing some one on one counselling with a psychologist regarding his risky conduct. The problems he has have been identified as involving isolation and difficult associates who helped play a part in dragging him into further offending.
  7. The release plan that he had was [withheld]. However, we think the current plan lacks specificity.  Mr Wickcliffe has previously been released to Maketu with, it was suggested, extensive support from family and other organisations but that has not worked for him because he has returned to prison.
  8. At the moment, he has suggested that he would live in [withheld].  While we are not necessarily against that arrangement, we do think that we should explore the possibility of residential restrictions so that Mr Wickliffe will be subject to an electronically verifiable curfew.
  9. We will see him again in six months time. The expectations are that then a far more detailed plan as to Mr Wickliffe’s day to day activities will be provided by those providing support for him and confirmation that he will undertake further drug and alcohol treatment in the community and finally, the residential restrictions report which we have mentioned.
  10. All of those factors illustrate that we are satisfied he remains an undue risk without an adequate release plan.  We will see him again by the end of May 2020.

Sir Ron Young
Chairperson