SA Parole Board denies rapist-murderer Jonathan Peter Bakewell release but document reveals nine positive drug tests kept from victim’s family

A murderous rapist kept using drugs for years on parole – but his victim’s family was never told, even as they fought his unending bids for release.

A drug-fuelled, murderous rapist who breached his parole five times tested positive for cannabis on nine other occasions without the public or victim’s family ever being told.

The Advertiser can reveal the full extent of Jonathan Peter Bakewell’s years of drug abuse on parole now that his latest bid for freedom has been rejected.

On Wednesday, and following a three-and-a-half-year campaign by The Advertiser and victim’s sister Eileen Culleton, the Parole Board declined to allow Bakewell back into the community under supervision.

Bakewell’s imprisonment will continue as court records show he failed a total of 14 drug tests since he was paroled, in 2016, for the 1988 rape and murder of Ms Culleton’s sister Anne-Marie.

Bakewell failed his first test just six months after he was granted freedom and, like every subsequent positive result, it was for cannabis – the drug he used on the night of his crimes.

By 2021, Bakewell’s drug consumption was so prolific that he failed three drug tests in a two-week span – and yet his parole was not cancelled for another eight months.

Jonathan Peter Bakewell following his arrest.

Bakewell in 2020. Source: Facebook.

The full extent of Bakewell’s drug abuse is detailed in the Supreme Court judgment that, in April, granted him a new non-parole period.

On Wednesday, Ms Culleton said she was elated and greatly relieved her battle to keep Bakewell in jail had finally met with success.

“This is a victory for my sister, for me, for The Advertiser and for all those who got behind me and gave me a voice,” she said.

“But it’s also only a reprieve for myself and for the community.

“In 12 months’ time, Bakewell can reapply for parole and he can do this once a year, every year, for the rest of his life.

“No victims’ family should have do it once … I will have to go through this again and again and this is cruel.

“I’m the one that still has a life sentence.”

She said the board’s decision in no way excused its treatment of her family and it hadard never informed them of Bakewell’s other nine positive drug tests.

“The board’s lack of notification is outrageous, should not be tolerated and requires an urgent review into its processes for transparency and accountability,” Ms Culleton said.

Eileen Culleton, sister of murdered rape victim Anne-Marie Culleton.

“A convicted sadistic rapist murderer who continually lies about drug use and who continues to flout his parole conditions is an offender who cannot be trusted in the community.

Bakewell, 60, murdered Anne-Marie, 20, in her Northern Territory apartment with a ligature and then washed her body in a shower in an attempt to destroy evidence.

He was originally sentenced to life without parole but given a 20-year minimum term following a High Court challenge.

Since his transfer to the SA prison system in 2005, Bakewell has been arrested five times for parole breaches – each time blaming “passive inhalation” or “medicinal use” of cannabis.

Anne-Marie Culleton was raped and murdered in 1988. Picture: Supplied by the Culleton family.

In April, the Supreme Court dubbed him “a very low risk of reoffending” and encouraged him to “explore medicinal cannabis” upon release.

On Wednesday, Ms Culleton said Bakewell’s inevitable pursuit of parole continued to take a great toll on her family, which feared for themselves and the safety of the community.

“Having to relive the horror of Anne-Marie’s rape and murder to fight Bakewell’s parole feels like I am in a living nightmare which has derailed my entire life,” she said.

“I did not expect to be subjected to the never-ending trauma of Bakewell repeatedly breaching parole and the Parole Board repeatedly releasing him.”

She said her focus was now on campaigning to change laws so that murderers who have also committed sexual offending are jailed for life without parole.

“To ever again release Bakewell is a form of revictimization of a murder victim’s family and this must end,” she said.

TIMELINE

February 25, 1988: Bakewell rapes and murders Anne-Marie Culleton, and is jailed for life with a 27-year non-parole period.

2004: Non-parole period reduced to 25 years due to legislative change.

2000: Diagnosed with “probable multiple sclerosis”.

2005: Transferred from an NT prison to Yatala Labor Prison.

2008: Parole Board recommends release, but state government intervenes and Bakewell remains in custody.

2011: Board recommends release once more, but it is again blocked by the state government.

September 9, 2016: Bakewell is released on parole, having served 28 years.

October 2016: Diagnosed with tonsil cancer, undergoes surgery and chemotherapy.

March 2017: Tests positive for cannabis, blames “passive inhalation”. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

June 2017: Tests positive for cannabis a second time, claims he smoked it “to alleviate a sore throat”. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

July 2017: Formally warned, by the Parole Board, about his cannabis use.

October 25, 2017: Tests positive for cannabis a third time, claims it was smoked “for pain relief”. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

November 3, 2017: Tests positive for cannabis a fourth time. Board records it as his first breach, arrests him and informs the Culleton family.

April 5, 2018: Released by the Board.

August 22, 2018: Tests positive for cannabis a fifth time. Board records it as his second breach, arrests him and informs the Culleton family.

November 2, 2018: Released by the Board.

January 11, 2019: Tests positive for cannabis a sixth time. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

March 8, 2019: Tests positive for cannabis a seventh time. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

April 5, 2019: Tests positive for cannabis an eighth time. Board records it as his third breach, arrests him and informs the Culleton family.

June 15, 2019: The Culleton family makes a public appeal, asking the Board to deny Bakewell any future chance at parole.

October 16, 2019: Released from custody over the objections of the Culleton family.

September 10, 2020: Tests positive for cannabis a ninth time, blames “passive inhalation”. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

February 4, 2021: Tests positive for cannabis a 10th time. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

February 11, 2021: Tests positive for cannabis an 11th time. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

February 18, 2021: Tests positive for cannabis a 12th time. Board does not record a breach nor inform the Culleton family.

March 10, 2021: Tests positive for cannabis a 13th time. Also tests positive for methylamphetamine, but that is due to a lab error. Board records his fourth breach, arrests him and informs the Culleton family.

October 22, 2021: Having been released, tests positive for cannabis a 14th time. Board records it as his fifth breach, arrests him, informs the Culleton family and cancels his parole.

January 31, 2022: Applies for a new non-parole period. Culleton family is not informed by authorities and finds out via The Advertiser.

April 22, 2022: Supreme Court imposes new six-month non-parole period, backdated to October 2021.