New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

Ruairi Kern TAYLOR

Hearing: 13 January 2021

at Otago Corrections Facility

Members of the Board: Mr J Thomson (Panel Convenor)

Mr C King

Ms T Sharkey

In Attendance: (withheld) Case Manager

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Ruairi Kern Taylor at the age of 25 has made his first appearance before the Board for the consideration of release on parole.  Mr Taylor is serving an effective sentence of three years three months imprisonment imposed a little over one month ago on 2 December 2020.  He became eligible the same day he was sentenced and the sentence ends on 3 December 2022.
2. The sentence was imposed for attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, assault with a blunt instrument and intentional damage.  Mr Taylor pleaded guilty to these matters.  He drove his car into the back of a police vehicle stopped at the side of the road.  This was done with sufficient force to cause the patrol car to shunt forward into the car stopped ahead of it.   Mr Taylor then got out of the vehicle and used a short-handled axe to smash car windows while the officer was still in the car.  During the attack he yelled religious slogans.  He also had religious music playing loudly in his car.  After chasing off the police officer he returned to the patrol car and smashed headlights and made holes in the metal panels.  He began yelling religious material from the Qur’an.  Police officers arrived and he was arrested.
3. Mr Taylor said that he was not a practising Muslim but wished to commit suicide.  He wished to be shot by police.
4. When interviewed for the provision of advice for courts Mr Taylor suggested that he was a victim in some way and that his actions were the fault of the failing mental health services.  He also disclosed previous (withheld).
5. Mr Taylor has a RoC*RoI score of 0.297.  This is effectively his first term of imprisonment.  There is a previous term showing on his list, but this is an offence committed while he was being held in custody for the present matters.  It was also an offence of violence and was committed against another prisoner.
6. Mr Taylor is being managed under directed segregation due to concerns about his mental health and the risk he might pose to other prisoners.  He is generally compliant with staff requests, but he does not engage much with staff members.  The accompanying officer said that Mr Taylor had not caused any great problems of late.
7. The Parole Assessment Report states that Mr Taylor’s risk appears to centre around, amongst other things, his mental health needs.  A psychologist report was prepared for the Court at sentencing.  There was no (withheld) of a (withheld).  It was thought that he will be referred to (withheld) for individual treatment once his (withheld) has stabilised.  Mr Taylor has indicated that he is happy to work with Psychological Services.
8. At present there is no formal plan for Mr Taylor's release into the community.
9. Mr Taylor has indulged in rather unusual behaviour which has caused risks to others.  We believe that it is essential that he receive help to lessen this risk.  For that reason we are not satisfied that he currently poses no undue risk to the safety of the community.  Parole is declined.
10. For the next hearing a psychologist’s assessment is requested.  We ask that the assessment look at Mr Taylor’s level of risk and how that might best be managed by treatment or intervention.  We also ask that the psychologist assess any proposal for release and make any further recommendations for rehabilitation and integration.
11. Mr Taylor will be scheduled to be seen again by the Board in June this year and no later than 30 June 2021.  As stated above, a psychologist’s assessment is requested for that hearing.