Victim tired of reliving trauma

Every year the man critically shot by Michael Busch and who watched a teenage relative shot dead by him loses months of his life when the murderer comes up for parole.

South Wairarapa businessman and entrepreneur Noel Hayes was peppered with shotgun bullets and left for dead on that fateful day back in November 1989 when the peace and quiet of the settlement of Martinborough was abruptly thrown into the national spotlight as police undertook the biggest manhunt of the time looking for the murderer.

Mr Hayes' 9-month-old son at the time, Tawa, was narrowly missed as Busch burst into the home, shooting Mr Hayes as he fed the baby. Busch emptied the pump-action shotgun into Mr Hayes and Ian Silby, who lay in a toilet in fear after Busch stormed the house firing at them. The shooter left the scene on his motorbike carrying the weapon.

Two days later Busch handed himself in to police and subsequently pleaded guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Ian and the attempted murder of Mr Hayes.

Mr Hayes, who had been shot in the head and arms before being shot in the buttocks by Busch as he fell out a bedroom window, underwent emergency surgery that afternoon. At the time there were allegations of a sexual relationship between Busch and the teenager. It was widely believed tensions were high between the three and that cannabis had played a part in the tragic events that day. There was no trial as Busch admitted the charges.

Busch was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and 10 years for attempted murder - to be served concurrently.

Meanwhile, Mr Hayes said every year he relived the trauma of that day when Busch applied for parole. "Honestly, I can't even check the mail when I know it's that time. It takes two or three months of my life. I can't describe it."

Mr Hayes doesn't plan on attending any more parole hearings.

"It's just too stressful for myself and my family. It takes so much out of you ... if he was really sorry he wouldn't want to get out."

The hardest thing was knowing Busch had raped Ian and killed him to keep him from telling people he was homosexual, he said.

He feared the man was still a risk, working in vineyards on work release with vulnerable young people and being released on weekend or day leave to the Pahiatua area.

"I object to this. That's too close to the Wairarapa ... these people are very devious. He's not supposed to come into the region ... I'm just so sceptical. You can never let your guard down with this guy. I just have so many reservations."

Since being jailed, Busch had admitted at a meeting with Mr Hayes and a psychiatrist that he had raped Ian, he said.

"He's admitted that stuff but he's never been charged."

Busch, now 55, was paroled in July 2002 but recalled within four months because of concerns over unsupervised conduct with children with suggestions of grooming arising out of sexual tendencies.

He went before the Parole Board late last year when conveners heard he had completed the Te Piriti programme in 2002 and had made progress to the point he was on work release. The board also heard Busch had been released to attend church services with a supporter.

However, the board was concerned the prisoner hadn't undergone psychological treatment or counselling. In the decision released by the board, headed by Justice Warwick Gendall, it states programmes Busch had done did not "adequately address what appears to be a major risk factor, a component in the original offending, that being his understanding of his sexuality".

In the board's view, at that time, he still remained an undue risk to the community.

Meanwhile, three years ago the Whangaparoa community took their concerns to the Department of Corrections when they heard Busch was possibly to be paroled to the area. Busch makes his next bid for freedom in November when he is due to go before the board again.