‘Justice of the P’ to go free
A Justice of the Peace who fell from grace after becoming entangled in her son’s jailhouse methamphetamine ring has been granted parole.
In late 2017, Marlene Dorothy Taylor was sentenced to three years and five months in jail for her role in the ring.
A JP for more than 25 years until her offending, she provided finance for the ring run by her son Brian Paul Taylor.
He was serving a lengthy lag at Manawatu¯ Prison at the time for a range of offences, including involvement in two shooings and beating a Mongrel Mob member in his home before stealing the mobster’s gang patch.
Despite his jailbird status, he managed to contact people outside the wire to do his dirty work.
The ring also pulled in tattoo artist Zion Cody Kingston Pene and Kimberley Sarah Meihana, who had already been convicted for conspiring to deal meth in 2013, as part of a ring that included her then-husband and Mongrel Mob Manawatu¯ president Jeremiah Sua.
Marlene Taylor, 71, became eligible for parole late last month and, according to a Parole Board decision released yesterday, will be released this month.
In the decision, the board noted Taylor was vulnerable at the time of her offending because her mother and husband had recently died. ‘‘Her son put pressure on her to use money from her husband’s death,’’ the board said.
‘‘It is clear that during the course of the operation Ms Taylor became aware of what the money was actually being used for.
‘‘She admitted [at the hearing] that she did not tell the police and continued to be involved.’’
Taylor was described as a ‘‘mature prisoner’’ and ‘‘excellent role model’’, who had significant support in the community.
She was also undertaking counselling and wanted to participate in the Kowhiritanga rehabilitation programme for female offenders. ‘‘It is clear that Ms Taylor has learnt a lot as a result of her imprisonment,’’ the board said.
She recognised her son could be a risk to her in the future. She was contacting him every month, but did not plan to offer him space if he wanted parole or to visit him in prison.
The board made it a special condition of her release to not communicate with her son unless she had permission from her probation officer.
She has also been ordered to undertake any counselling, programmes or treatment her probation officer directs her to do.