Michael William CURTIS 13/01/2025

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

Michael William CURTIS

Hearing: 13 January 2025

at Rimutaka Prison via MS Teams

Members of the Board:

Sir Ron Young – Chairperson

Dr J Skipworth

Ms M Kleist

Counsel: Ms M Lander

Media: Ms K Makiha - NZME

In Attendance: [withheld] – Principal Case Manager

Support Persons: [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Michael Curtis is 38 years of age.  In 2007 he murdered Nia Glassie.  He was also convicted of three charges of cruelty to her and four charges of assault.  He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 17-and-a-half-year non-parole period.  Today was the first occasion on which Mr Curtis has appeared before the Board.  His 17-and-a-half-year non‑parole period has now been served.
  2. Nia died as a result of swelling of the brain because of a blood clot.  That is likely to have occurred because of a sudden acceleration and deceleration of her head.  Bruising to her head was consistent with blows and possibly kicks to the head.
  3. The evidence at trial was given in part by an eight-year-old sister of Nia who saw Michael and his brother Wiremu kick Nia in the head on the evening of 20 July immediately prior to Nia dying.  Nia’s life was one of abuse and those present at the house as well as Mr Michael Curtis and his brother were convicted of assaults and ill-treatment of Nia and others.  Mr Michael Curtis was convicted, as we have noted, of murder as well as wilful ill-treatment of Nia and assaulting her.
  4. There had been frequent and ongoing abuse of Nia by the occupants including her being shoved in a sandpit with no clothes, shoved under a broken couch, having balls and other objects thrown at her, being punched, and kicked, and given cold baths.  At one stage Mr Michael Curtis put her on a clothesline, spun her as fast as he could until she fell to the ground crying and screaming.  This was repeated and only stopped when a neighbour intervened.  She was pushed into a clothes dryer by one of the adults, curled into a ball screaming and the dryer was turned on.  There were other assaults including what was described as wrestling moves that she was subject to.
  5. Mr Curtis had a very disruptive upbringing.  [withheld].
  6. Initially Mr Curtis said that he was not involved in much of the violence to Nia or at least only limited violence and was not involved in the events immediately preceding the murder.  However, since that description to the psychologist, Mr Curtis today told us that he accepted he had been involved directly in the murder itself as well as the behaviour which ultimately resulted or ended in the murder, that is the physical and cruel abuse over a number of months.
  7. Mr Curtis overall has struggled in prison.  Initially he was in Whanganui Prison.  There have been a number of violent incidents, suspected drug abuse, and possession of drugs.  Mr Curtis said that many of the violent incidents were people attacking him because of his crime.  Since September 2024, he has been transferred to Rimutaka Prison [withheld].
  8. Corrections decided that because of his crime, it was not possible [withheld] for him to do the STU:VO programme and so he started and completed nine hours of work with a psychologist.  It was then suggested that counselling adequately met his rehabilitative needs.  However, when the psychologist reviewed the position, they were of the view that Mr Curtis’ core treatment needs had not yet been addressed.   We agree.
  9. As we have noted on many occasions, the STU:VO programme is somewhere over 300 hours of work both group and individual and so while we understand the reasons why Mr Curtis would not be able to attend the group-based programmes, it is clear from the extremely brutal murder and violence over many months to this very young child that significant rehabilitation work with a psychologist on a one-to-one basis is going to be needed.
  10. Mr Curtis says he is motivated to do that work.  We think that is positive. [withheld].
  11. We will see him again, therefore, by the end of July 2026.  We hope by that time he has had further substantial one-on-one work with a psychologist.  We do not expect a release at that time, but we hope significant programme has been made.

Sir Ron Young

Chairperson