Killer back in prison after 13 visits to red-light zone
The killer of Timaru hitch-hiker Lisa Blakie is back behind bars after visiting sex workers in Christchurch’s Manchester St 13 times while he was supposed to be at work.
Timothy David Taylor was jailed for murdering Blakie after she caught a ride with him on February 2, 2000, while hitch-hiking from Christchurch to the West Coast.
The 20-year-old’s bruised body was found four days later under a boulder in a stream near Porters Pass on State Highway 73.
Taylor – who had an extensive criminal record including rape, supplying drugs and kidnapping – was convicted after the Crown argued Blakie, who had worked in the sex industry, was killed in an attack motivated by robbery and sex.
Taylor had a pokie addiction at the time and was short of cash. He was also a regular user of prostitutes.
Last April, Taylor was freed on parole to live in Christchurch under strict conditions.
However, by December – just seven months later – the Department of Corrections applied for Taylor to be recalled to prison because of his ‘‘undue risk to community safety and breach of release conditions’’.
An interim recall order was granted.
Taylor appeared before the Parole Board yesterday for a final recall hearing.
Taylor’s probation officer said that on the first weekend Taylor had been approved to travel by himself, he deviated from his approved destination.
‘‘Deviations occurred on 13 occasions with the assumed purpose of seeking the services of a prostitute,’’ the report said.
Ten of those visits were caught on security cameras.
The report noted Taylor had been particularly keen on one prostitute.
‘‘He admitted attending the location regularly seeking this person. He would take the prostitute to another location nearby to fulfil his physical sexual needs.’’
The probation officer was concerned that Taylor’s history of violence and sexual offending meant there was ‘‘undue’’ risk from his visits to the city’s red-light district.
Previously identified risk factors for further sexual offending included sexual preoccupation and poor problem-solving skills.
The probation officer added that despite GPS monitoring and an
Taylor ‘‘quickly engaged in risky behaviour’’ when the opportunity arose.
Probation officer
intensive reintegration programme, Taylor ‘‘quickly engaged in risky behaviour’’ when the opportunity arose.
In a memorandum on December 24, the probation officer outlined the 13 ‘‘deviations’’ and noted that on December 2, 6, and 7, Taylor was at other locations when he was supposed to be at work. The officer said Taylor’s deviations raised doubts about his ‘‘intrinsic motivation’’ to abide by the rules.
Crown prosecutor Pip Currie, appearing on behalf of Corrections, said the place where Taylor had been staying was no longer prepared to have him as he had not been ‘‘upfront’’ with them.
Currie said Taylor had not been in the community for long, and deviated from what he was supposed to do at almost ‘‘the first opportunity’’.
Taylor’s trips to Manchester St ‘‘raised some alarm bells’’ and his recall to prison should be made final, she said.
Taylor’s lawyer, Pip Hall, QC, said he did not oppose the recall. Taylor accepted he breached the rules, in what was ‘‘a quite serious dropping of the ball’’, and recognised he probably needed more help from a psychologist.
His employer was prepared to have him back when he was able to.
The Parole Board concluded there was no doubt Taylor was an undue risk to community safety and made a final recall order. The board called for a psychological assessment of Taylor, which would be discussed when it had another hearing with him in May.
Blakie’s father, Doug Blakie, told The Press that Taylor’s behaviour was ‘‘far from natural for any normal member of society’’. However, he remained convinced Taylor was innocent of his daughter’s murder. ‘‘I’m disappointed he’s gone down this way because he’s been convicted of a murder he didn’t commit.’’
He believed several ex-members of the Devil’s Henchmen motorcycle gang played a role in his daughter’s death.
Blakie said he hoped the Criminal Cases Review Commission would be able to prove Taylor was not guilty, but noted Taylor’s behaviour after being released from jail had been ‘‘unacceptable’’.
He said his daughter’s work in the sex industry did not define her.
‘‘Lisa lived a double life in some ways. We had no idea she was working with the gangs in that area of work. This in no way matters to us in terms of how much . . . our loss affects her family and friends.’’