Murder victim’s aunt angry at Bragger’s early release
KAPITI A KAPITI woman jailed for her part in the killing of her daughter’s boyfriend was released from jail this week despite pleas from members of his family for her to serve her full three-year sentence.
Susan Bragger, 47, was sentenced to three years’ jail in February last year after pleading guilty to conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm to Raymond Piper, 23, of Paekakariki.
Bragger paid hit man Ainsley Anderson $3500 to give Mr Piper, known as Son, a bashing to get him out of her daughter Hanna Lark’s life.
Anderson was sentenced to life imprisonment for stabbing Mr Piper to death after a struggle.
Bragger appeared before the Parole Board on September 10 and was released on Monday.
Mr Piper’s aunt Lilian Tahiwi had battled since Bragger’s first parole hearing last year for her to serve her full three-year sentence and said allowing her to walk free 19 months into her sentence was ‘‘extremely disappointing.’’
‘‘All we asked was that she served the full term . . . The Par- ole Board has failed our family, the victims. It is a total crock. She started the whole train of events. She could have stopped it [the fatal bashing].
‘‘It has wreaked horror on our family. Only three years out of her miserable evil life. Our baby is gone, horrifically murdered and his little boy is growing up without a father,’’ Mrs Tahiwi said.
Ms Lark agreed. ‘‘I am gutted. She should have served the whole sentence,’’ she said.
Bragger reached her parole eligibility date in November last year and appeared before the board that month and again in March.
But the board felt additional information was needed before a further hearing.
Bragger’s parole conditions stated she was not to enter the greater Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti Coast, greater Palmerston North, Tauranga or Bay of Plenty area without prior written consent of her probation officer.
She was also not allowed to communicate or associate with co-offenders or victims without written consent of the probation officer.
Judge David Holderness stated ‘‘this very serious crime’’ was a first offence for Bragger, described as a ‘‘quiet and compliant offender’’ with a minimum security rating.
A psychological report assessed Bragger’s overall risk of further violent offending as low. While in prison she completed a ‘‘Women Reframing Anger’’ programme and had counselling.
Bragger’s brother Sean Hawke, 51, was also jailed for three years after pleading guilty to the same charge and was released in January.