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Offender Databases Craig Welsh

Craig Welsh

Alias

.

Offences

Murder of his estranged wife Sonia Rebecca and friend Dean Buzan in their Spreydon, Christchurch flat in February 1995.
Also involved in the October 1997 Paparua Prison siege

Victims

Sonia Rebecca Welsh
Dean Buzan

Offender Affiliations

Michael October
Nathan Schriek
Richard Genge
Dean Haweturi Parata
Justin Mana Taylor
Graham John Tahuri

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1963

Current Location

At large in Christchurch

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to life in October 1995
Released in mid 2006

Background
From The Christchurch Press June 22, 1998
Eight prison inmates go on trial today over the 26-hour hostage drama at Paparua Prison.

The inmates, Rex Haig, Richard Lyall Genge, Nathan Earl Schriek, Craig Welsh, Michael Wayne October, Dean Houweturi Parata, Justin Mana Taylor, and Graham Tahuri, will appear in the High Court in Christchurch on kidnapping charges.

Three of the men, Haig, October, and Parata, allegedly took six prison officers hostage last October to highlight their claim that they were innocent of the crimes for which they were jailed. The men allegedly barricaded 80 inmates into the prison.

Five of the eight Paparua Prison inmates charged with kidnapping six prison officers have pleaded guilty at the beginning of their Christchurch High Court trial. The Crown has dropped the charges against the other three. Rex Haig, Michael Wayne October, Dean Haweturi Parata, Nathan Earl Schriek and Richard Lyall Genge have all been remanded to July the third for sentencing. Crown prosecutor Brent Stanaway elected not to proceed with the indictments against Justin Mana Taylor, Graham John Tahuri and Craig Welsh, The kidnapping charges arose out of last year's hostage drama at Paparua Prison

Note that Rex Haig's murder conviction has since been quashed

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Corrections and Additional Information
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