No parole for boy’s killer

Don Farmer | 9th February 2010

A former Martinborough man who has been in jail for 20 years has again been denied parole.

The New Zealand Parole Board has turned away a statutory application to consider allowing Michael Busch, 51, to be returned to the community.

Busch was jailed in 1990 for the murder of Ian Silby, a 14- year- old boy.

The board, headed by Judge David Carruthers, must by law consider freeing Busch each year as he has reached parole eligibility, even though at his latest appearance Busch signed a waiver turning down a request to meet with board members.

Mr Carruthers said Busch's explanation for not fronting the board was because he considered nothing had changed since he had been refused last time.

"There has in fact been a change because he is now shown as an identified drug user in prison.

"This started on October 8, 2009."

Mr Carruthers said the previous time the board saw Busch was to further a proposal put forward by a person whose name the board withheld from the press and public.

A series of meetings had been held with a businessman whose " enthusiasm and ability" were being utilized to promote Busch's release " in a planned and careful way."

He said there had, however, been difficulties over reintegrating Busch into the community.

Mr Carruthers said board members went to some effort to be open with potential neighbours of Busch should he be released, and with police, " and it now seems there is considerable public knowledge about what is proposed, and local people are not accepting the proposal."

Although the board would not identify the area being considered as a future home for Busch it has confirmed it is not Wairarapa, or near Wairarapa.

Original release plans offered by the unnamed businessman are no longer available " because of local difficulties" and Mr Carruthers said there is a obvious need " to re-think the whole arrangement."

There was now no arrangement for his release that would ensure the safety of a community he was to be housed in and his drug use in jail meant he had not obeyed prison rules.

Parole was declined and the board , by law, will consider Busch's release situation again towards the end of this year.