Fake Tahitian prince Joseph Hohepa Morehu-Barlow in fight for freedom
The fake Tahitian prince who swindled $16 million from Queensland Health claims he is now a “political prisoner”. In a series of jailhouse letters he describes himself as a changed man, the perfect inmate who deserves a second chance at life.
Crime & Justice
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THE fake Tahitian prince who swindled $16 million from Queensland Health claims he is now a “political prisoner”.
He describes himself as a changed man who is the perfect inmate and deserves a second chance at life.
In a series of explosive letters written from his cell at Wolston Correctional Centre in Brisbane’s southwest, convicted fraudster Joseph Hohepa Morehu-Barlow details why he committed his brazen crime, speaks of his remorse and describes his life behind bars.
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In the letters obtained by The Sunday Mail, he tells his mum Andre of his frustration at being twice rejected for parole, and reveals he has helped more than 50 inmates with their parole applications – every one of them successful.
“My one is political, I know that, that’s why I expect not to go home,’’ he writes.
“I am prepared for them to say no again. I am the perfect inmate, a role model inmate. If my crime wasn’t against the government I would be home already.”
A Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said it did not release information about individual prisoners, parole dates or reasons why parole had not been granted.
The Sunday Mail has also obtained photos of Morehu-Barlow, also known as Joel Barlow, behind bars. These are the first public images of him since police swooped in 2011, ending an astonishing four-year crime spree which humiliated Queensland Health and hoodwinked the Brisbane A-list into believing he was Tahitian royalty. Long gone are the designer labels, expensive jewellery and luxury products he bought with his ill-gotten millions. Instead, he wears simple prison greens.
The former public servant began writing to his mother in New Zealand only after he received news in 2017 that she was fighting for life in an ICU ward following a knife attack.
His family believe it was the turning point for the convicted fraudster who celebrates his 44th birthday on Wednesday.
He continues to regularly communicate with his family, telling his mother in a Christmas card: “let’s hope I’m home for next Christmas”.
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THE CRIME
In the letters Morehu-Barlow talks in detail about his path to jail, describing how he went off the rails because he wanted to “become someone … at any cost” after a tough childhood.
“I really wanted to prove everyone wrong, to become someone,’’ he writes. “I wanted the shame gone so bad that I wanted it at all cost or at any cost. I found an easy fast-paced solution and when I realised I was now off the track it was too late. The quick and easy path came at a cost.
“I am not proud of the choices I made in my life, but I am thankful for the life lessons I have learnt,” he wrote.
SAYING SORRY
Morehu-Barlow also tells his mum that he finds it difficult to deal with the shame and disgrace he brought to his close-knit Maori family.
Through his letters, he asks for forgiveness and repeatedly says he’s sorry for what he has done.
“I ask you for your forgiveness for everything I have put you through,” he writes.
“I have truly accepted the consequences of my actions. I feel enlightened, I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders, a veil of secrecy removed. I can finally be honest with myself.”
After years of estrangement, he says he values his family more than anything else. He is preparing his third application to the Parole Board. If granted, it would see him extradited to New Zealand and into the care of his mother.
“I know now the most precious gift/item/things in life is not money, wealth, flash house or cars – it’s people, particularly family,’’ he writes.
TROUBLED CHILDHOOD
The eldest of six children, Morehu-Barlow tells his mum it was tough for him and his siblings growing up poor in a dysfunctional household with a brutal father and domestic violence.
“I know you tried the best with us kids, six children must have been so hard mum. You had so many obstacles and hurdles to cross,” he tells Andre. But he says being exposed to other prisoners with a worse childhood has convinced him his life in Thames in New Zealand’s North Island was not so bad after all.
“I thought I had a real tough life, but being here I realised I’m not unique, most other people here have had worse upbringings. I have now seen people who have had way more hardship than I.
“No longer will I be embarrassed or made to feel shame.”
PRISON LIFE
A far cry from his luxury pad in Brisbane’s New Farm, for the past seven years home has been a small cell with only the basics.
“I try to use my education for good in here. I help people write letters to family and friends, I help them write to government agencies for support and to date I have helped more than 50 inmates with their parole, every one successful but mine,” he wrote.
“Some inmates can’t read or write or were homeless from 9 years old. I try to keep fit, I eat well or as well as can be expected, the food isn’t that bad. The officers are really good to me, especially the Maori and Islanders. They all ask how I’m doing and make sure I’m okay.”
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HOW I’VE CHANGED
The one-time bogus royal told his mother that being sent to jail had been a blessing and had put him on course to a better life once he was released.
“This place has truly changed me, real life lessons, I am totally grateful for what I have learnt about myself and those I love,’’ he writes.
“I really treasure my time here. It has been a learning curve for me. I have grown so much, mentally and emotionally.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a sook, but now I make a conscious effort to snap out of it quickly. I value humour and laughing at myself, I don’t take myself too seriously anymore,” he writes.
TIME TO REFLECT
I could have stayed on track and I wish I did. I know I would have done something special. Reality (sic), I made really selfish, hurtful choices that impacted not only me but the family and friends around me. I am sorry for that mum, I ask for your forgiveness for everything I have put you through. I have trully (sic) accepted the consequences of my actions. I feel enlightened, I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders, a veil of secrets removed. You know being in this place has given me time to reflect on my life and its hurts, pains and wonders. I can finally be honest with myself. I know now the most precious gift/item/things in life is not money wealth, flash house or cars. It’s people, particularly family. I love you mum, you have always been there for me when I fell off the rails.
NO MORE SHAME
This place has trully (sic) changed me, real life lessons, I am trully (sic) grateful for what I have learnt about myself and for those I love. NO longer will I be embarrassed or made to feel shame. I guess growing up being so shamed of how we lived, how we looked and how others treated us put the wheels in motion to overcome that shame, but what I failed to do was stick to the right path, the slow steady hard working path. I wanted the shame gone so bad that I wanted it at all cost or at any cost. I found an easy fast paced solution and when I realised I was now off the track it was too late. The quick and easy path came at a cost. More shame, public shame. But being here has made me realise that I am in control of my emotions.
NO HARD CELL
You thought prison would be hard and to a point not having access to family and friends is the only hard thing about it. I really treasure my time here, it has been a learning curve for me about me, and that is what I value the most. I have grown up so much, mentally and emotionally, don’t get me wrong, I am still a sook, but I know make a conscious effort to snap out of it quickly. I value humour and laughing at myself. I don’t take myself too seriously anymore.
A MODEL INMATE
I tried to use my education for good in here. I help people write letters to family and friends, I help them write to government agencies for support and to date I have helped more than 50 inmates with their parole, every one successful but mine. My one is political I know that, that (sic) why I expected not to go home. I have my new parole application in … I’m prepared for them to say no again. I am the perfect inmate, a role model inmate if my crime wasn’t against the government I would be home already. I guess I’m now a political prisoner. I’m not bothered by it all, I am so much stronger mentally and emotionally. I try to keep fit, I eat well or as well as can be expected, the food isn’t that bad.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FULL COLLECTION OF JAILHOUSE LETTERS
LESSONS LEARNED
I ask you to forgive me for all my faults, misgivings and the pain I have caused you growing up … I am not proud of the choices I made in my life, but I am thankful for the life lessons I have learnt … All I ever wanted in this world was for you to be proud of all of us kids. I really wanted to prove everyone wrong to become someone, to create a real home for us kids.
CALL ME AUNTY
They (other prisoners) call me Aunty hahaha, not because I act like a girl hahaha, it’s because I’m always telling them to behave, stop fighting, clean up their mess, be nice to their girlfriends on the phone, one of them said I fuss like his aunty and know it’s stuck.
HOMECOMING
I have really had an easy prison sentence, well easy prison time here I mean. So if they do by chance give me parole and send me home I will come home and look after you.
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