By 3news.co.nz staff
A serial sex offender known as the 'Beast of Blenheim' will be released next year regardless of the Parole Board ruling him 'high-risk' at his latest hearing.
In 1996 Stewart Murray Wilson was sentenced to 21 years in jail for a range of sexual offences spanning 25 years.
Wilson is convicted of rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, stupefying, wilful ill-treatment of a child and bestiality.
He was due for release in December 2008 because of old laws that allowed prisoners to serve two-thirds of their sentence. But the Parole Board issued an order to extend his sentence to September 1, 2012.
The Parole Board reviews the order every six months and if deemed safe he will be released earlier than September.
Wilson’s most recent review was October 17, 2011, where he was ruled 'high-risk'.
Regardless of whether Wilson fails his future Parole Board reviews he will still be released next September.
“Under the legislation in which Mr Wilson was sentenced, the offender must by law be released next year,” says Sonja Defriez, Parole Board communications manager.
If Wilson is not released before next September Ms Defriez says he will face strict conditions upon release, but not parole.
If his release conditions are broken he will face fresh charges in court
3 News
source: newshub archive
