Bell likely to appeal triple-murder sentence

8.00am

The lawyer for convicted triple killer William Bell says his client is likely to appeal the record 33-year non-parole jail sentence handed to him yesterday.

Bell, 25, was sentenced yesterday in the High Court at Auckland for the murders of William Absolum, 63, Wayne Johnson, 56, and Mary Hobson, 44, and trying to kill Susan Couch, then 38, at the Mt Wellington-Panmure Returned Services' Association (RSA) on December 8, 2001.

Ian Tucker, Bell's defence lawyer during his trial last year for the murders said the sentence, the longest ever jail term without parole, was no surprise to his client.

Mr Tucker told National Radio this morning he had pushed for a 20 to 25 years sentence that would give his client some incentive for rehabilitation.

"Rehabilitation I think is part of the process at any sentencing and that was the aspect that I thought should have some significance... Namely that there shouldn't be such a crushing term imposed on him that he couldn't see any hope at the end of the tunnel."

Mr Tucker said it was "more likely than not" that Bell would appeal the sentence.

Bell's associate Darnell Tupe, 24, was sentenced to 12 years' jail on three manslaughter charges with a minimum non-parole period of seven years.

Mr Tucker said Bell was not a difficult client "he was always courteous and articulated his instructions readily and during the trial was very alert to matters he thought should be concentrated on terms of cross examination".

Nevertheless Mr Tucker said he had to put personal feelings aside when representing Bell.

"I think when you consider the really horrific nature of the murders you have to have, unfortunately, a level of detachment because you wouldn't be able to do your job otherwise."

Mr Tucker said he thought Bell, who was on parole at the time of the killings for a previous violent offence, was a product of his environment.

"In examining the William Bell of today I think that you have to look at what made him the person that he is.

"The old debate about nature versus nurture I think features largely with Mr Bell and he's certainly had a deprived, fractured childhood and youth because he was institutionalised from the ages of seven to the age of 18 in and out of boys homes and under the care of the Director General of Social Welfare for very long periods."

Meanwhile, Opposition parties today condemned the Government for the mistakes the Department of Corrections made in its handling of Bell.

Acting Corrections Minister Margaret Wilson has acknowledged mistakes were made in the way Bell's parole was managed, and said yesterday there had been "significant changes" in procedures since then.

Her explanations have not satisfied opposition MPs and today ACT's justice spokesman Stephen Franks said the department's failure had been complete.

"It wasn't just one error, it was half a dozen errors and a whole office that was doing it," he said on National Radio.

"I think that in a healthy Westminster system you'd have a ministerial resignation here."

- NZPA