Christine MORRIS - 11/03/2020

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

Christine Judith MORRIS

Hearing: 11 March 2020

at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility via AVL from Christchurch Men’s Prison

Members of the Board:

  • Sir Ron Young – Chairperson
  • Assoc. Prof P Brinded
  • Judge J P Gittos
  • Mr C King

In Attendance:

  • [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Christine Judith Morris was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in 2012.  She is on minimum security classification.  She had some previous convictions in the 1990s but nothing especially serious.
  2. Ms Morris is deaf.
  3. This is the first time she has been seen by the Board.  As far as the facts are concerned, there had been background tension between the victim and Ms Morris.  They were neighbours.  Ms Morris had been admitted as a voluntary patient to the Henry Bennett Centre.  She left the centre, went home to her neighbour’s place, got a hammer and beat her neighbour to death.
  4. We discussed briefly with Ms Morris our concern about her mental state.  We are satisfied that given Ms Morris’ uncertain mental state that a forensic report is essential to try and understand her state of mind and the way forward for her.
  5. In the meantime, we are satisfied that she remains an undue risk.  We therefore ask that a forensic psychiatric report be prepared with regard to Ms Morris identifying both her mental state as well as the way forward for her.
  6. In addition, we hope that the Departmental psychologist can participate as required.
  7. Ms Morris expressed concern about access to a sign language interpreter.  We note that sign language is an official language of New Zealand and she has a right to have access to such a person.  It is essential that the Department of Corrections facilitate that.
  8. We will see her again by the end of August 2020.  In the meantime, she remains an undue risk.

Sir Ron Young
Chairperson