Globetrotting former fugitive still locked up
A man involved in firebombing a family home, who then fled the country before being deported back after abducting a prostitute, has been declined an early release from prison.
Michael Edward Farley seems to be doing well in prison, but needs to work on his attitude towards psychological treatment if he wants to get released, according to his parole report.
The saga of how he ended up being jailed for six years and five months begins in 2010, when a Bunnythorpe couple saw something odd at their neighbour’s place.
Farley was charged with being on a property without reasonable excuse, but arranged for someone to convince the couple not to give evidence.
That person armed themselves with Molotov cocktails and torched the couple’s home while they and their children were inside. The Bunnythorpe family escaped and Farley admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Farley was serving home detention while awaiting sentencing on the perverting charge when he got a false passport, thanks to his brother Kevin signing a witness statement for him, and fled to Canada via Australia.
He made a clean break, but ended up back in trouble after abducting a prostitute.
He served 22 months’ jail in Canada before being deport back to New Zealand where, in the Palmerston North District Court in 2016, he finally faced the music.
According to his Parole Board report, released to Stuff, he has gone from a standard jail cell to the outer self-care units at Whanganui Prison.
His principal corrections officer described Farley’s positive conduct in those units. He works as a tractor driver and has privileges above those of a standard inmate.
However, he had some problems with treatment.
Although he had 11 sessions with a psychologist, treatment stopped due to his lack of engagement.
The board said Farley required ‘‘considerable work’’ before he could be given parole.
‘‘It seemed to us that Mr Farley wanted to undertake psychological treatment on his terms with little regard to the potential risk that he poses to the community.’’
Farley needed to complete work with a mental health clinician, then re-engage with a psychologist before figuring out a release plan, the board said. ‘‘After treatment is completed, and only then, would the board support his progression to reintegration activities.’’