Sister of Anne-Marie Culleton, who was raped and murdered in 1988 by Jonathon Bakewell, urges Parole Board to cancel his release

Anne-Marie Culleton was raped and murdered by Jonathon Bakewell more than three decades ago. Now he is on the cusp of parole — despite high drug use — and her sister wants urgent action.

The sister of murdered rape victim Anne-Marie Culleton has broken her 31-year silence to plead for a drug-fuelled killer to be kept behind bars — and to warn he may kill again if freed.

Eileen Culleton says Jonathan Bakewell, who killed Anne-Marie in 1988, has breached his parole conditions four times in just three years by consuming illicit drugs.

However, the Parole Board has told her Bakewell “does not present a threat” to the community and is considering releasing him again — possibly as soon as Tuesday.

On Saturday, Ms Culleton said the Board and State Government were deaf to her warnings, and said Bakewell — who has significant health issues — must remain behind bars.

“The brutal rape and murder of my sister while she was asleep in her flat is every woman’s worst nightmare,” she told the Sunday Mail.

“I am living in a state of perpetual fear that my sister’s rapist murderer may strike again if he is released back into the community.

NT Police escort Jonathon Bakewell, right, from a plane at the Darwin Airport following his arrest in 1988.

“I am angry that, as a person affected by the worst crime imaginable, my urgent pleas for action for the safety of women in the community are being ignored.

“I believe Bakewell is a dangerous man, made even more dangerous due to his continued drug-taking … how many chances should a convicted rapist murderer get?”

The Board’s chair, Frances Nelson QC, said Bakewell’s fate had yet to be decided.

“Ms Culleton has an open invitation to make any submission she wants to the Board — she can do it in person, over the phone or in writing,” she said.

“I do not think she has anything to fear from Bakewell at all … he has not reoffended at all since he has been on parole … his breaches involve using marijuana.”

On February 25, 1988, Bakewell — now 57 — broke into a flat in Parap, an inner suburb of Darwin in the NT.

He raped and murdered Anne-Marie, 20, then wrapped her body in a sheet and placed her under a hot shower in an attempt to wash away any forensic evidence.

Following his arrest, Bakewell told police he also stole $120 from her purse and “helped” himself to a drink from her fridge before leaving.

Dubbed “remorseless” by police, he was jailed for life but, in 2005, was transferred to SA so he could be close to his dying father.

Bakewell’s 2011 application for parole was denied, but he was released in 2016.

Ms Culleton said records showed that, over the following two years, Bakewell breached his parole three times.

The Board did not jail him over the first breach, but he served a four-month term and a five-week term for the subsequent infractions.

Eileen Culleton with a photo of her sister. Picture: Supplied by Ms Culleton.

In March, she wrote to the State Government, asking that Bakewell be given no further release opportunities, and was passed on to the Parole Board.

On April 23, the Board told her he had committed a fourth breach and an arrest warrant had been issued.

However, it said it remained of the view Bakewell “does not present a threat to you or anyone else in the community”.

Ms Culleton said she feared the Board’s attitude would see Bakewell released again on Tuesday.

“I couldn’t believe the cavalier attitude of the Board, especially given Bakewell’s extensive drug history and the facts of Anne-Marie’s murder,” she said.

“The Board’s paramount consideration must be the safety of the community, and this is not happening … instead, they are acting as a revolving door for drug-addicted rapist murderers.

“Women in SA have a right to know that they are in danger due to the actions of the Board releasing drug-addicted rapist murderers back onto the streets.”

Ms Nelson said that was not the case.

“Our role is not to decide the length of any sentence, that’s a matter for the courts, we simply have to look at the legislative criteria for release on parole,” she said.

“We will consider Bakewell’s matter in due course on the merits of his case … the safety of the community is one of many matters we consider very carefully.”