Kiwiblog

NZPA report:

Kurariki’s mother says arrest “might be the best thing” for her son after he failed to appear in court.

TV3s’ Campbell Live presenter John Campbell visited Kurariki’s home yesterday, where he spoke to his mother, Lorraine West.

Kurariki had got “all dressed up” for court yesterday morning, Ms West said. When she was told her son may be arrested, she said it “may be the best thing” and that he had been “getting on my nerves”.

When she told her son to behave he would say he was nearly 21 and to stop nagging, she said.

“I’m always on at my friends, ‘Who’s got a gun with one bullet?’ That’s all I’d need, I’d shoot him. I brought him into this world and I’d shoot him.”

I know Bailey has done some awful things, and is probably heading towards a life of crime. But I still think it is shocking his mother would talk about him like that to the media. And saying you hope he is sent to jail as he has been “getting on your nerves”.

The HoS reports:

The country’s youngest convicted killer is the subject of a new police complaint, accused of indecently assaulting two female journalists.

He is fresh from a one-month prison sentence after admitting wilfully damaging a television camera – the latest in a string of offences including assault.

Bailey Junior Kurariki was released from prison in May 2008 after being convicted of the manslaughter of pizza delivery man Michael Choy in 2002.

He was set strict conditions by the Parole Board after being released four months early, but police and the Department of Corrections have not been able to stop his repeated offending.

The new indecent assault claims follow a visit by two female Herald on Sunday journalists to Bailey Junior Kurariki’s Auckland home on Thursday.

The employees, who the newspaper has chosen not to name, said the 20-year-old behaved in an erratic and distressing manner during the interview.

Statements record Kurariki exposed himself to the women, masturbated in front of them and groped them before they could escape the house.

In hindsight it is a pity he was only convicted of manslaughter, not murder, as a life sentence would mean his parole can be revoked at any time.

I guess we are just going to have to wait until he has killed, raped or bashed enough people, to lock him up for good.

The Herald reports that Bailey Kurariki has found God and Maori culture and has turned his life around in prison.

I sincerely hope so, but have a real dread that this is not the case. As the Herald reports:

This week, the Parole Board said Bailey Kurariki was an articulate, intelligent and mature young man who was determined to turn his life around.

That was in stark contrast to its report last year, when it said he was at “high risk” of reoffending.

I get nervous at such dramatic changes which just happen to occur between parole hearings. But despite that I don’t think you can ignore the very strong advice of those who have been working to rehabilitate him:

But three years ago he began going to church and was baptised around May last year, which “has really helped him to mature”.

He was then transferred to the Maori focus unit in Hawkes Bay prison where he took an interest in kapa haka and tikanga Maori, and older Maori men took him in hand “in a positive way”.

He learned skills in the forestry industry and over a period of about two years, Kurariki grew up.

“By the end of last year we were hearing from prison officers that they were extremely impressed with him, and they are not fooled easily.

“They observed him in unguarded as well as guarded moments. There’s a lot of support for Bailey – they’ve seen him change.”

Prison Fellowship director Kim Workman said Kurariki had been rated by the Corrections Department “at the lowest possible level of risk”.

“Those who are close to him in the prison, and those from outside the prison who have supported him, are unanimous in their view that he is very unlikely to reoffend on release.”

I think he should be given a second chance. But that second chance (which is denied his victim Michael Choy) should not become a third or a fourth chance if he does offend on parole.  He should be made very aware that his sentence is for life and parole is a privilege not a right.

I hope he takes advantage of this opportunity to live a worthwhile life.