Freed Taylor grabs ride on e-scooter
Anna Leask talks to career criminal Arthur Taylor, released from prison yesterday after his 20th parole bid
It’s just one of those things you can’t describe — it’s so wonderful. Arthur Taylor
When you’ve spent more than 40 years locked up, it’s the simple things you look forward to most when you finally get released. When high-profile inmate Arthur Taylor was released from prison yesterday, the simple things included a fresh ham roll, using real cutlery, and having a hoon 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,” he told the Herald.
“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 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’s 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 back over his life.
“It’s still sinking in, it’s still a bit surreal,” he said.
“It will probably take me a few days to realise, I’ll probably wake up thinking I’m still in prison, wondering when the guards are going to open the doors and all that rigmarole.
“It’s really indescribable, it’s just one of those things you can’t describe — it’s so wonderful,” he said.
“In prison, they tell you when to do everything, they even count the number of squares of toilet paper they issue you . . . now you’re back with some sort of control of your own life again, you know?”
Taylor has spent more than 40 of his 62 years in prison for various offending.
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 was serving 17 and a half years for charges of possessing explosives, firearms, kidnapping and conspiracy to supply methamphetamine, among other crimes.
Over the years he’s racked up more than 150 convictions for offences including bank robbery, burglary, fraud and drugs. But he says his criminal career is over.
“You will not see me darkening any prison doors again,” he said.
In the coming days Taylor will move to Dunedin to live with a friend and will focus on settling in and “winding down”.
He was looking forward to reconnecting with Tui Hartman, a woman to whom he became engaged behind bars.
After the pair spoke out about their love and wedding plans, they decided to put the relationship on hold until Taylor was freed.
In recent years he became better known as a “jailhouse lawyer” after a series of successful court cases, including the 2017 prosecution and trial of Roberto Conchie Harris — secret “Witness C” — for perjury at David Tamihere’s double-murder trial in 1990.
He was also instrumental in the courts ruling that denying New Zealand’s 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 — quite the opposite, in fact.
“Now (Corrections) are going to be hearing from me a hell of a lot . . . They can’t lock me in a prison and try and forget me now,” he laughed.