Parole denied for poison killer Colin Bouwer

Colin Bouwer. Photo / Supplied

Convicted killer Colin Bouwer will remain behind bars after requesting parole be
declined at his latest hearing.

Bouwer appeared before the New Zealand Parole Board in Christchurch today and asked for parole to be declined because of his poor health, his lawyer, David More, told the Otago Daily Times tonight.

The South African native and former head of psychological medicine at the University of
Otago is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife, Annette, by administering a lethal
cocktail of drugs intended to mimic the symptoms of a rare tumour, between September 1999 and her unexpected death on January 5, 2000.

He is subject to a deportation order and will be returned to South Africa when parole is
granted.

"Parole is being declined at his request because he has some physical ailments and can't
travel at the moment," Mr More said.

"That's about all I can tell you.''

More has previously said Bouwer did not want the details of his illness publicly discussed.

Bouwer's bid for parole was also declined by the board last year as he remained an undue
risk to the community.

However, he claimed at that hearing he would be launching an appeal with the Privy Council against his conviction as his original defence case was wrong.

He told the board, at last year's hearing, he assisted his wife to commit suicide when she
became ill as part of a suicide pact between the pair.

The claims of Bouwer's illness first came to light in April, when Mr More said no appeal had been launched because Bouwer "isn't well at the moment''.

Following his wife's death, Bouwer travelled to South Africa and returned to New Zealand
bald and without his trademark beard.

He told people the changes were a result of chemotherapy he had for prostate cancer.

It emerged that story was false.

He told the board at last year's hearing, the claim was a "total fabrication'' and he had lied about his health as a "means of coping'' after his wife's death.

A parole board spokesman said Bouwer's parole decision was yet to be officially released.
It is understood the board has not received any applications for compassionate release.

Mr More said last night he was yet to hear how long it would be before Bouwer was next to appear before the board.

In September 2001, Bouwer was jailed for a minimum non-parole period of 13 years.

That period was increased to 15 years after an appeal by the Crown.