Salvation Army offers killer $20,000 to change ID

The Salvation Army has offered double-murderer Gresham Marsh more than $20,000 - to have his tattoos removed, to change his name and to receive counselling for abuse he allegedly suffered as a child.

Marsh, one of New Zealand's most notorious criminals, whose murder of a rural Waikato couple helped to introduce the term "home invasion" into the New Zealand vocabulary, is one of 36 people who claimed to have been abused in the church's homes as a child.

Marsh and accomplice Leith Ray, now serving a life sentence for the 1994 murders of John and Josie Harrisson, go before the parole board in September.

He requested the help last August to change his identity, to ease his move back into the community.

The Herald revealed last week that Marsh, from prison, has threatened to sue his family and victim-support lobby group the Sensible Sentencing Trust, who he says have been "judging" him.

In a letter written from Rangipo Prison, he said his family had lied about abuse he suffered as a child.

The Herald can now reveal Marsh was offered $21,125 by the Salvation Army last September for abuse he suffered as a child in Hodderville Boys Home in Putaruru.

 

A letter from the Salvation Army to Marsh's then lawyer, Sonja Cooper, last year said the church was prepared to pay to have Marsh's tattoos removed and to have his name changed by deed poll, plus give him $5000 for counselling sessions.

If he did not need counselling he could use the money as he saw fit.

"For our part this satisfies the need for certainty and finality," says the letter, signed by referral officer Murray Houston. It also promised to pay Marsh a $15,000 lump sum and legal fees of $1000, plus GST.

Marsh has already been receiving ACC-funded trauma counselling for abuse he says he suffered as a child.

Salvation Army spokesman Major Alistair Herring said he could not talk about individual cases.

He said most claims against the church had been settled in the past 12 months. Only a few were left.

Marsh's sister, Rowene Marsh-Potaka, said she remembered Marsh going to the boys' home.

She said her family were furious Marsh was claiming he suffered abuse while he lived with the Marsh family, who adopted him as a baby.

She had asked Corrections Minister Paul Swain how an inmate could send out letters like Marsh had.

Marsh's lawyer, Michael Bott, has said he is investigating his client's claims about abuse as a child.