Worthy Redeemed refused parole again, still denies role in triple-death crash

Worthy Redeemed was found guilty of killing three people by a High Court jury in 2011. Photo / File

A born-again Christian who killed three people by grabbing a steering wheel and guiding a car into an oncoming bus will stay behind bars for at least another two years after parole was declined for a second time.

A remorseless and uncooperative Worthy Redeemed, formerly known as Lee Errol Silvester and who has "Praise God'' tattooed across his neck, was the front-seat passenger of a car that veered into the path of a bus near Woodend, north of Christchurch, on May 1, 2010.

The car's driver, Dean Jonathan McCartney, 21, and passengers Jethro Bronson Cooper, 16, and Kodee Marie Rapana, 15, died in the crash.

A jury found Redeemed guilty of three counts of manslaughter and he was sentenced to 13 and a half years' imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of six years, nine months on appeal. It was the toughest ever sentence for a conviction of manslaughter with a motor vehicle.

The 47-year-old, who has 70 convictions for a range of offences including kidnapping, violence, burglary, dishonesty, weapons, and drink-driving, continues to claim his innocence, saying he has no recollection of what happened.

When Redeemed first appeared before the Parole Board in August 2017, he told them he was pursuing further avenues of appeal against his conviction.

While in prison, he'd declined to participate in any programmes or rehabilitation activity and two years ago the Parole Board found that: "His self-focus and his own assessment of his offending would preclude any chance of successful intervention."

In a new Parole Board decision released to the Herald on Sunday, nothing much has changed.

Redeemed refused to appear at his August 12 hearing, saying is still "pursuing further means of contesting his conviction".

"In his absence, we have no information as to the likely timeframe of the processes he is pursuing, nor have we had the opportunity to discuss with him how his time in prison might be productively spent while he is awaiting an outcome," the board says.

A July parole assessment report, which Redeemed refused to cooperate with, says he's been identified for a Drug Treatment Programme and the Special Treatment Unit Rehabilitation Programme "but was not motivated to engage in any programme and was continuing to maintain his innocence".

He'd been doing well working in a prison's receiving office as a cleaner, the report says, but had complained about the low rate of pay and was no longer working there.

Family members of the victims told the Parole Board they felt that Redeemed has not accepted responsibility, showed no remorse, and believe he continues to be a risk to the community if released.

"In the circumstances, finding Mr Redeemed's position unchanged since his last appearance before the board in August 2017, the board continues to assess him as being an undue risk to the community and parole is declined," the decision states.

Redeemed will come before the board again in July 2021.

The Court of Appeal rejected a bid to quash his convictions, finding that new evidence and a challenge of a witness's evidence at trial was not enough to warrant an appeal.