Convicted rapist murderer Jonathan Peter Bakewell seeks parole for sixth time as his victim’s family calls for change

Five parole breaches and 14 positive drug tests haven’t stopped this murderous rapist seeking release yet again – and his victim’s family say his attempts torture them.

A rapist murderer who has breached parole five times, and tested positive for drugs 14 times, is seeking release yet again – and his victim’s family have called for an end to their “ongoing torture”.

The Advertiser can reveal Jonathan Peter Bakewell has made a new bid to live in the community, 13 months after the Parole Board refused to release him from his jail cell.

That refusal only came, however, after a three-year public campaign by Anne-Marie Culleton’s family to keep Bakewell behind bars – a battle they thought they had finally won.

On Saturday, Ms Culleton’s sister Eileen called on the state government to follow the UK’s lead and deny parole to killers whose crimes involve sex or sadism.

The British government last month announced a sweeping reform of its system following the murder of Zara Aleena by parolee Jordan McSweeney.

Convicted murderer and rapist Jonathan Bakewell.

Anne-Marie Culleton, who was raped and murdered in 1988.

“It is just ongoing torture for my family having to fight Bakewell’s parole hearings every 12 months, because it means having to relive Anne-Marie’s murder over and over again,” she said.

“I only just got over the trauma of last year’s hearing and to have to go through it all again is just unbearable … I can’t keep doing this year after year for the rest of my life, it’s killing me.

“I and other murder victim families should not have to suffer like this … it is cruel and inhumane to subject them to this mental and emotional torture year after year.

“I am calling for parole reform to keep rapist murderers behind bars for the rest of their lives … we need certainty that they won’t be released to kill again.”

Bakewell upon his arrest.

Ms Culleton’s sister, Eileen.

In 1988, Bakewell, now 61, murdered Anne-Marie, 20, in her Northern Territory apartment with a ligature while under the influence of cannabis.

His original sentence of life without parole was changed, by the High Court, to 20 years and he was transferred to the SA prison system in 2005 to be close to his family.

Since then, he has been arrested five times for parole breaches – each time blaming “passive inhalation” or “medicinal use” of cannabis.

Bakewell, who has cancer, tested positive for the drug on nine further occasions but was not arrested for it, nor were the Culletons informed of his offending.

On Saturday, Eileen Culleton said she could not sleep, was “constantly on edge” and fearful due to the possibility Bakewell may be released again.

“I feel sick with dread that the Board will release him again, that he could soon be back on the streets, and women and children won’t be safe sleeping in their beds at night,” she said.

“This dread is exacerbated by the fact that I have no confidence in the Board … on nine occasions, it did nothing … how can I trust that it will not release him again?

“We victims are the ones being given the life sentences.”

A spokesman for Attorney-General Kyam Maher said while the state government acknowledged Ms Culleton’s loss and sorrow, the government had no role in deciding if a prisoner was granted parole.

“This decision is made by the SA Parole Board exclusively,” the spokesman said.

Sarah Scammell, from the Victim Support Service, said while she couldn’t comment on specific cases, a review of the parole system was needed.

“Victim’s families lose a loved one and not only are they experiencing extreme loss but the justice system, this can go on for years or decades even,” she said.

“Imagine being exposed to that on a regular basis and sadly on a 12-monthly basis when someone is continually applying for parole and having to advocate on their own, it must be really tough on them. It can’t be good for their mental health and wellbeing.”