New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Tipene Herewini HALFORD

Hearing: Friday 5 November 2021

at Auckland South Corrections Facility via Videoconference

Members of the Board: Sir Ron Young – Chairperson

Dr Jeremy Skipworth

Lawrence Tawera

Counsel:                                        Ms T Cooper

In Attendance:                               [withheld] - Case Manager

Support Persons: [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Mr Halford who is 39 years of age was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and aggravated robbery in 2002.  He had one page of convictions prior to that time mostly property offending.
2. Subsequently, he was released.  An interim application for recall was granted, but a final order was not made in 2017. Then subsequently, he was found to be using alcohol shortly afterwards in the community, and there was another confrontation that he was involved and use of alcohol,  and the Board decided Mr Halford should be recalled.
3. Mr Halford has always denied the murder and the aggravated robbery and also denies the circumstances that gave rise to his most recent recall.
4. In any event, today we saw Mr Halford.  He is now described as being a medium risk of violent re-offending.  It is proper to acknowledge firstly that he has undertaken all of the rehabilitation expected of him.  He has completed more recently the DTU arising from the concern about alcohol consumption.  He has recently gone to Residences, a form of internal self-care within Serco Prison.  That has been somewhat delayed because of availability of spaces.  He has not pursued Release to Work and currently, it is not available to him.
5. What he has done though in prison, is improved his computer programming skills by involvement with participation in Take2, a Computer Programme and Self-Development Programme.  That seems to have been very positive for him.  He has developed significant computer skills and has support from mentors including the [withheld] and others.
6. Mr Halford has wide family and friend support.  He has completed further one-on-one counselling within the prison since his recall.  Overall, he has shown himself to have behaved well and have stable conduct within the prison over the last 12 months.
7. He has a good accommodation proposal with [withheld] who is a long-term supporter.  In addition, he has employment offered to him by supporters [withheld].  Mr Halford has skills as a camera operator, and we are sure that it is in that area together with his more recently developed computer programming skills that will best offer the chance of employment in the future. In addition, he has business mentors who will help him develop his own business.
8. Given this progress we are satisfied that overall, he is no longer an undue risk and may be released.
9. As to his release proposals, we will release him on 29 November 2021.  The curfew should stay for a period of three months from his release date.  We will see him on a monitoring hearing by the end of May 2022.  We have added in one additional provision, that is, the employment provision which requires him to check with his Probation Officer about any proposed employment or if and when he ever leaves employment as a way of monitoring the employment that he might have.
10. Finally, we would have preferred him to have had a whānau hui before release.  We suggested to Serco that that should happen, but we were told that they did not have authority to have a Teams whānau hui.  They said that they had restrictions on their contractual arrangements with Corrections.  We express our surprise about that.  Clearly, it is currently not possible for there to be a whānau hui within the prison, given the COVID lockdown rules.  We hope that that can be facilitated prior to his release.
11. The following Special Conditions are imposed:

(1) For the first three months of release to submit to electronic monitoring as directed by a Probation Officer and comply with the requirements of partial residential restrictions. To remain at your approved address between the hours of 10pm and 6am daily, unless you have the prior written approval of a Probation Officer, or as permitted by section 33(4) of the Parole Act 2002.

(2) Upon release from prison, to travel directly to [withheld], Auckland and await the arrival of a Probation Officer and a representative from the monitoring company.

(3) To attend an alcohol and drug assessment, and attend, participate in and complete any treatment or counselling directed by a Probation Officer.

(4) In May 2022, to comply with any direction made under section 29B(2)(b) of the Parole Act 2002 to attend a hearing at a time and place to be notified to you.

(5) Not to have contact or otherwise associate, with any victim of your offending, [including previous offending] directly or indirectly, unless you have the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.

(6) Not to possess, use, or consume alcohol, controlled drugs or psychoactive substances except controlled drugs prescribed for you by a health professional.

(7) Not to communicate or associate with your co-offenders directly or indirectly, unless you have the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.

(8) To attend a psychological assessment and attend, participate in and complete any recommended treatment as directed by a Probation Officer.

(9) To reside at [withheld], Auckland, or any other address approved in writing by a Probation Officer, and not move from that address unless you have the prior written approval of a Probation Officer.

(10) To attend, participate in and complete AOD Relapse Prevention programme as directed by a Probation Officer.

(11) To obtain the written approval of a probation officer before starting or changing your position and/or place of employment (including voluntary and unpaid work). To notify a probation officer if you leave your position of employment.

“Please note: you may be required to undergo a drug or alcohol test and or submit to drug or alcohol monitoring.”