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RSA triple killer William Bell has apologized for his “heinous” crimes, before accusing Corrections officers today of injustice and unwitting prejudice.
Auckland High Court.
Photo: justice.govt.nz
Bell is in Superior Court seeking a judicial review of his safety rating and urging a judge to consider whether he is being doubly punished.
His meth-fueled rampage at Panmure RSA in 2001 left three dead, called him one of the worst killers in the country, and resulted in a life sentence with a 30-year period without parole in Paremoremo prison.
Now with a 17-year sentence, Bell is representing himself in Superior Court, with the help of his fellow inmate Thomas Cheng over the phone.
Standing in the dock and reading a statement this afternoon, he first took the opportunity to speak about his crimes.
“I would like to pause here and say that I am not proud of what I did. I have committed a heinous crime, which is reprehensible in any society,” he said.
“No amount of words can replace the loss, pain and suffering that I have caused the victims.”
However, Bell told the court that the rule of law applies to everyone, “saints, sinners and everyone else.”
He told the court that the correctional officers at his prison had not followed the rules.
He said a fellow inmate called 0800 Crimestoppers in August last year and claimed that Bell was hatching a plan to escape.
They said he would do so by taking a prison official hostage.
Bell had his safety rating from low to medium temporarily raised to the maximum, which stripped him of the ability to work in the prison kitchen.
He said correctional officers had made minimal effort to investigate whether there was any truth to the claims provided anonymously.
“Prisoners have a legitimate expectation that correctional officers follow their own principles, policies and procedures,” he said.
Bell told the court that he wanted prison staff to be held accountable, because a maximum security rating “is not something that should be trivialized.”
“The case that I am taking to court is an example in which public officials have not complied with the standards and obligations that the law requires of them in the performance of their duties. It speaks of injustice and perhaps unconscious prejudice, ”he said.
Bell urged Judge Mark Woolford to consider his record as a “well-behaved” prisoner.
“I have never escaped. My intention is not to escape. I have been in this place for 20 years. I only have 10 years to do before the first [parole] board.”
The Superior Court hearing is expected to last two days.
