Dartelle Maremare James ALDER 26/2/2021

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Dartelle Maremare James ALDER

Hearing: 26 February 2021

at Waikeria Prison via AVL from New Zealand Parole Board, Wellington

Members of the Board: Sir Ron Young – Chairperson

Assoc. Prof. P Brinded

Dr G Coyle

Mr S Perry

Counsel:                                           Mr Matthew Phelps

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Mr Alder, who is 43 years of age, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, unlawful sexual connection, rape and abduction.  The offending occurred in 2001.  His security classification is minimum.  Mr Alder had no convictions prior to this offending.
  2. We last saw him in January 2020.  At that stage, he had completed the Adult Sex Offender Treatment Programme.  He had good employment in prison, and he was undertaking (withheld).  He was reliably taking his (withheld).  We suggested that the way forward for him was a period of reintegration, updating his safety plan, and the possibility of a restorative justice meeting was discussed.
  3. As to the current position, the psychologist said that Mr Alder appeared to retain what he had learnt from the Adult Sex Offender Treatment Programme.
  4. Mr Alder spoke to us today about the circumstances of his offending, the background to it and the underlying causes.  He spoke in a clear, straightforward and convincing way.  We were impressed with his understanding of the precipitants of his offending.
  5. We asked him, as the victims asked us, whether he accepted that he had deliberately driven down the victim immediately before the subsequent offending.  Mr Alder said that he recognised it would be easier for him to simply say that he had deliberately ran her down, but he said that was not true.  He said that he had been driving along, there had been a collision and his windscreen had broken.  He did not know what he had hit, he got out of the car and then heard the deceased.  We leave that matter for the victims.  He acknowledged to us how much he appreciated the victim’s approach.  He recognised it caste an important obligation on him to never return to prison and to live a good life.
  6. In any event, Mr Alder has now been transferred from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison to Waikeria.  We had said that transfer was appropriate given his offending and given our view that even though he had significant family support in the Hawke’s Bay it was not a possible release address.
  7. Overall, Mr Alder has done very well with his rehabilitation.  He has now completed all of that rehabilitation with a good knowledge of his safety plan, his high-risk situations and how he will deal with them.
  8. He is no longer subject to any (withheld) oversight.  He is taking his (withheld) regularly.  He is now assessed at being moderate to low risk of sexual re-offending and low violent re-offending.
  9. He is now moving to reintegration.  He is about to apply for Release to Work.  If he is granted that privilege, then he should know within a few weeks where he might be working.  The psychologist recommended, and we agree, that there should be ongoing whānau huis with his family to understand what his ultimate release arrangements will be.  Mr Alder has (withheld) available.  He has had a period of time with that (withheld) and can re-engage should he wish to do so.
  10. We think Mr Alder is on an appropriate course ultimately for his release.  He understands the limitations of where that might be.  We will see him again by the end of December 2021 to review the position.  In the meantime, he is an undue risk.
 

Sir Ron Young

Chairperson