Media Release
21 April 2004

Parole Board Is A Threat To New Zealanders

New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark has congratulated Justice Chisholm for the sentence he handed down to serial sex offender Gary Isherwood.

Isherwood was today sentenced to preventative detention with a minimum parole period of 10 years for his part in the drug rape of an 18-year-old woman.

“Justice Chisholm has accurately identified this man as a menace to society and has sentenced him accordingly. However, not only is Isherwood a danger to New Zealanders, but the Parole Board and the Corrections Department are a danger too,” said Mr Mark.

“Dangerous criminals don’t release themselves, instead it is the soft ‘touchy feely’ individuals that sit on the Parole Board who let them out.

“We have had a spate of tragic crimes committed whilst offenders have been on parole. When the parole board has made such enormous mistakes such as William Bell and Anthony Roma we expect them to err on the side of caution, instead of replicating past mistakes.

“Isherwood should be kept away for a very long time, along with other offenders who commit these types of crimes,” said Mr Mark.

ENDS

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