Snowtown accomplice Mark Haydon's imminent release triggers proposed law change

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The State Government will rush legislative changes through parliament that would allow a supervision order on Snowtown accomplice Mark Haydon who's about to get out of prison. The 65-year-old is due for release in May after spending 25 years behind bars.

Transcript

00:00 For three weeks the Government has been looking at its legal options in relation to the imminent

00:06 release of Mark Ray Hayden, who helped cover up the Snowtown serial killings.

00:11 This afternoon the Premier and the Attorney-General announced a two-pronged strategy to keep the

00:16 accomplice under surveillance when he's freed.

00:18 "I can announce today that the Attorney-General has issued instructions to Crown to pursue

00:24 an extended supervision order against Hayden."

00:28 The announcement comes the day before Hayden is set to appear before the Parole Board,

00:32 which could grant him early release with conditions.

00:35 The Government's application though is aimed at keeping tabs on Hayden after his full

00:39 sentence is completed in May.

00:41 If granted, Hayden would need to continue adhering to strict conditions similar to parole.

00:46 "Things like electronic monitoring via an ankle bracelet, curfews, where you can go,

00:52 where you can reside."

00:53 Mark Hayden is one of four men who are jailed over the Snowtown or Bodies in the Barrels

00:58 murders.

00:59 While Hayden was not convicted of murder, he was found guilty of seven counts of assisting

01:02 the offenders in covering up the killings.

01:05 Two of the offenders, John Bunting and Robert Wagner, are serving life sentences for murder

01:10 without parole.

01:11 While the fourth, James Lasarkas, who was also found guilty of murder, will be eligible

01:16 for parole next year.

01:17 The Government is also looking to rush legislation through Parliament.

01:20 "We will be moving to suspend standing orders to introduce a new piece of legislation that

01:26 strengthens the regime around what high-risk offenders have extended supervision orders

01:32 applied to them."

01:33 Under the change, anyone who has assisted a murderer after the killing will be deemed

01:37 to be a high-risk offender and could be subjected to a supervision order.

01:41 "That's why we're designing to make sure if there's an application on foot it will

01:44 apply.

01:45 As I said, we think there's a gap in the law as it stands, so we want to fix that shortcoming."

01:50 The Opposition says it will consider the legislation.

01:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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