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Murder of Northcote motelier Rex Bell by shotgun in the course of an armed robbery in December 1988
While on parole in August 2003 had committed two assaults with a weapon, some burglaries and vehicle theft, along with being found in possession of various weapons including a pistol, plus miscellaneous drugs charges, all in the Wairarapa region
Rex Bell
William Cullen
none known
Born 1965
Prison
Sentenced to to life imprisonment (10 years at that time) plus concurrent terms for robbery and wounding, all in March 1990
Was paroled November 2002
Sentenced to 4 years 5 months in late 2003 and recalled to continue serving his life sentence
Due for another hearing August 2010
Background
Wairarapa Times-Age story here details all the later charges in depth
Dominion Post story here
A murderer seems to have grounds to argue that the orders recalling him to serve his life sentence were botched. During a brief period of parole, Wuti Wellington Waa, who had been convicted of the 1988 shotgun slaying of Northcote motelier Rex Bell, had jobs such as working in a vegetable cooperative, and driving prostitutes to and from jobs.
But his freedom, which began in late November 2002, ended less than a year later when he committed several offences. As well as being sentenced to a total of four years and five months' jail, Waa was recalled to serve his life sentence on grounds he had committed more crimes, breached release conditions and posed an undue risk to the community.
Waa, wearing prison clothes, acted for himself in the High Court at Wellington recently, asking for a writ of habeas corpus, an order from the court that he was being held unlawfully and should be freed. Justice Lowell Goddard did not grant the writ but said an inquiry into the validity of Waa's final recall order was appropriate. A judge could review the case next year. Waa says the warrants recalling him were not signed at the time, but "back-dated" later as having been signed four months earlier. He had other complaints about the way the Parole Board had handled his case. Waa is due before the board in September next year.