Rapist, murderer’s parole bid unsuccessful
The man who raped and murdered a South Otago teenager who was out riding her horse more than 30 years ago will remain in prison for at least two more years after the Parole Board learned he was caught with a vape and a sharpened object and failed a drug test.
And the recidivist rapist is trying to get deported back to the UK rather than serve any time on parole in New Zealand.
In 1991 Paul Bailey was jailed for life for the rape and murder of 15-year-old Kylie Smith near Owaka.
The teenager was out horse riding when she encountered Bailey.
He was armed with a .22 calibre rifle when he approached Kylie and forced her into his car then drove into an area of bush, where he raped and murdered her.
Bailey was facing a charge of attempted rape at the time of Kylie’s death and was on bail.
He was considered for parole late last month and the board said he was far from fit for release and ordered that he not come before them again until 2025.
While in prison Bailey attended
a child sex offenders programme but did not “graduate”.
He has had “limited” sessions with a psychologist but the board was concerned there had not been sufficient focus on the violence involved in his offending.
Parole Board panel convenor Kathryn Snook said a psychological assessment in February this year stated Bailey remained at a high risk of violent and sexual offending.
“The psychologist’s recommendation is that Mr Bailey needs to practise his skills in a gradually less restrictive environment and receive feedback and coaching as necessary.”
However, Bailey being allowed into that environment depended on his “demonstration of reliable selfmanagement, ongoing communication with professional support, and compliant behaviour”.
“Whatever approach is adopted, it is clear that there is still a long pathway ahead for Mr Bailey.
The board was also worried about Bailey not yet having addressed his violence.
“We remain concerned about this when reading the information we have about the three lots of offending, including the rape and murder, the attempted rape and the sexual offending against a 12 to 16-year-old.
“Risk remains undue. Mr Bailey is continuing to display unstable behaviour and has no release proposal. We consider that there are still deficits in his treatment. Parole is declined.”
Before making its decision the board met with a number of Bailey’s victims.
They “strongly” opposed Bailey’s release, describing him as manipulative and dangerous and lacking remorse.
“They have not seen any commitment to change from him.
“Finally, they do not have any confidence that he will comply with any conditions imposed if he is released on parole. He committed the murder and rape while on bail for the attempted rape.”
The victims asked the board to put Bailey’s next hearing off for five years. However, the board could not impose the maximum postponement period without giving Bailey formal notice.
He is scheduled to appear before the board again in January 2025.
At his last hearing in 2021 the board heard Bailey had made good progress but had work to do.
He spoke about his remorse for his horrific offending against Kylie.
“The things I’ve done are irreversible, there’s no way I can ever fix it,” he said. “I would be willing to do anything.”
The board heard while Bailey had made progress in prison, he had not been a model inmate.
In 2018, he returned a positive test for cannabis.
In 2019, he was found in possession of the tip of a screwdriver. Bailey said it had been left in a glue stick he had inherited from another inmate, and he did not know it was there.
And in 2019, he was found with three cannabis joints.