‘Jailhouse lawyer’ Taylor now free and enjoying simple things

AUCKLAND: When you’ve spent more than 40 years locked up in prison, it’s the simple things you look forward to the most when you are finally released.

When high profile inmate Arthur Taylor was released from prison yesterday morning, the simple things included a fresh ham roll, using a phone without permission and having a ride on a Lime scooter.

‘‘One of the first things I did was stop at Te Awamutu and had a nice latte and a lovely ham roll — because I haven’t had any pork products for the last 14 years, or tomato — so that was really cool,’’ the Dunedinbound Taylor said.

‘‘And steel knives and forks after using flimsy plastic ones for the last 14 years, it’s those little things.

‘‘It was good to be back out among ordinary people without a prison uniform and guards. It was so good to be out in the ordinary community again.

‘‘And, hey, I [went] up and had a go on a Lime scooter this afternoon.

‘‘I thought they’d have more grunt to tell you the truth, it’s probably because of the 20kg I’ve put on while I’ve been in prison.’’

Taylor is also looking forward to going to bed and waking up when he pleases, without the glare of prison lights or the banging of guards on doors each morning.

Most of all, he is excited to have control over his life back.

When Taylor arrived in Auckland yesterday he met for the first time the woman he will live with outside prison.

Hazel Heal is a recent law graduate from Dunedin who first engaged with Taylor through prison letters.

They formed a friendship and Ms Heal agreed to provide Taylor with a parole address.

The pair were due to dine last night with legal expert Prof Mark Henaghan and Taylor was looking forward to catching up and having a ‘‘quiet night’’ at his hotel, likely tucked up in bed at about 9.30pm.

In the coming days, they will head to Ms Heal’s home.

❛ It was good to be back out among ordinary people without a prison uniform and guards Arthur Taylor

Taylor said he had not been to Dunedin since 1975 and was looking forward to getting to the southern city, settling in and ‘‘winding down’’.

‘‘For about six to eight months I just propose to wind down, you know?’’ he said.

‘‘Take care of what I’ve got on the go now.

‘‘I want to further my education . . . catch up with some good people.

‘‘It’s just so great to be able to phone them or get a phone call from somebody.

‘‘You just don’t know until you haven’t got it.’’

Taylor has spent more than 40 of his 62 years in prison for various offending.

Taylor was serving 17 and ahalf years for charges of explosives, firearms, kidnapping and conspiracy to supply methamphetamine, among other crimes.

The sentence was not due to end until 2022.

Over the years Taylor racked up more than 150 convictions for offences, including bank robbery, burglary, fraud and drugs.

After being denied parole 19 times, Taylor finally succeeded in his bid for freedom at a hearing in January.

He was released from Waikeria Prison at 6am yesterday and was greeted there by his sister, Joanne.

Taylor described his release from prison as bittersweet.

‘‘It’s one of the sad things, you get quite close to people in prison. They’re like your family in a lot of ways, especially the decent ones,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s quite sad to leave them there, knowing that you’re not going to see them again and they are going to stay there.’’

After leaving Waikeria, Taylor spent time with his sister, her children and their children.

He is desperate to see his two sons and young daughter, as well as his other siblings, and plans to do that as soon as he can.

In recent years Taylor became better known as a ‘‘jailhouse lawyer’’ after a series of successful court cases.

He was also instrumental in the courts ruling that denying New Zealand prisoners the right to vote was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights, and challenged the legality of the prison smoking ban.

He has no plans to stop his crusade against Corrections.

‘‘Now [Corrections] are going to be hearing from me a hell of a lot, now I’ve got the tools and I can pick up the phone and send an email,’’ he laughed.

‘‘. . . I happen to believe if you’ve got knowledge and abilities you have a duty as a part of our community to use that for the good of people.’’ — NZME