West Coast killer claims PTSD, parole refused

A man jailed for the brutal murder of an elderly woman is said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder - as a result of seeing his own violent offending.

Peter Carrington was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for the murder of Mya Sollis, 73, on a West Coast beach.

Sollis' body was found by a Department of Conservation officer in marram grass at Morrison's Beach, 43 km north of Greymouth.

An autopsy found she died of blood loss from 11 stab wounds to the neck and face, including her eyelids.

Sollis had often gathered driftwood and stones from the beach.

Carrington, then 32, pleaded guilty to murdering the pensioner.

In court it emerged that Carrington watched Sollis drive past and followed her to the beach.

He dragged her into the flax and attacked her.

It was not the first time he had offended against an elderly woman.

In 1998 Carrington was jailed for seven years for sexually violating an 81-year-old woman in his home town of Oamaru.

The victim was beaten over the head with a piece of concrete. She lapsed into unconsciousness and stayed that way until her death some time later.

Carrington has been denied parole in the past.

In 2017 he was refused release from prison because the board had concerns about his "future risk".

At the time they noted he was doing one-on-one psychological work, he had work outside the wire and he was in self-care - but had no real release plan.

On September 3 the board received an application to postpone Carrington's parole hearing.

Parole Board chairman Sir Ron Young declined it and said it was "not necessary in the circumstances".

"We have a psychological report which notes that drugs and alcohol were factors in both his offending," he said.

"Indeed that was confirmed today in our questioning of Mr Carrington.

"There was some confusion about the circumstances under which he may have been offered or asked to undergo an alcohol and drug assessment.

"In addition there seems to have been a request within Corrections for an alcohol and drug assessment which Mr Carrington at the time seemed reluctant to undertake.

"Currently he has not had any alcohol and drug treatment, other than that treatment which would have been part of the Adult Sex Offender Treatment Programme which he completed in 2014.

"We think given that alcohol and drugs played a part in both sets of offending, that Mr Carrington should attend an appropriate alcohol and drug treatment programme within prison."

Young said Carrington remained at a medium/high risk of sexual re-offending but had completed a safety plan, helped by a psychologist.

"As to the future, he needs further prison re-integration work, he needs further one-on-one counselling to provide increasing insight into the reasons behind his offending and he needs to develop his community support.

"Finally, it may well be that Mr Carrington does suffer from PTSD arising from the horrendous circumstances of his offending.

"We invite his psychologist and Corrections generally to keep that fact in mind when assessing his progress in any further treatment that he may need."

He ordered Carrington to undertake an alcohol and drug treatment programme in prison, to be completed before he next appeared before the board.

"We will see him again in the first week of March 2021.

"In the meantime for the reasons given, he remains an undue risk."