Tax fraudster Barrie Skinner turned down by Parole Board

Wednesday 10th May 2017

Former Wellington accountant Barrie Skinner has had his latest application for an early release rejected by the Parole Board.

In a hearing on April 26, Skinner parole application was turned down for a third time, with the board saying it was concerned he didn't accept responsibility for his offending. In the decision, acting panel convenor Martha Coleman said Skinner left the board with the impression that he didn't accept the court's analysis of the case was correct, that he minimised his role in the offending, and that there was no evidence of his claim of remorse.

"In light of his refusal to accept a placement on the MIRP (medium intensity rehabilitation programme), we are concerned that Mr Skinner approached the SRP (short rehabilitation programme) as a 'tick the box exercise'," Coleman said. "He has yet to consistently demonstrate full acceptance of his criminality and needs to demonstrate changed thinking over a period of time."

Skinner and his partner David Rowley were convicted on 110 counts of tax fraud in 2012 and were jailed for eight-and-a-half years. Last year they exhausted their appeal process when the Supreme Court rejected their application to throw out their convictions.

The Parole Board will hear Skinner's next application in February next year.

(BusinessDesk)

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