Parap murder victim’s sister’s pleas ignored as killer rapist released from jail
THE man who brutally raped and murdered Parap woman Anne-Marie Culleton in her own home has been released from jail
Crime and Court
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THE man who raped and murdered 20-year-old Parap woman Anne-Marie Culleton in her own home in 1988 has been released on parole in South Australia, despite the pleas of his victim’s sister to keep him locked up.
Jonathan Peter Bakewell was jailed in 1989 for life for the brutal, drug-fuelled attack, but became eligible for parole following changes to the Sentencing Act and was transferred to an SA prison in 2005 to be closer to his dying father.
In 1988, Bakewell broke through the back door of Ms Culleton’s home in the middle of the night while she was sleeping.
After committing his crimes, he left Ms Culleton’s body under scalding hot water in the shower in an attempt to conceal the murder by advancing body decomposition.
Bakewell’s release on Friday was his fifth shot at parole having been previously sent back to jail for breaching his conditions, including by using illicit drugs.
Since June, Ms Culleton’s sister, Eileen Culleton, has been fighting to keep him behind bars, saying he poses an ongoing threat to women.
But in handing down the SA Parole Board’s decision this week, chair Frances Nelson QC said while she sympathised with Ms Culleton’s view, she did not share it given Bakewell’s health problems, including multiple sclerosis and cancer.
“We have done a very careful risk assessment, he does not represent a risk to the community,” she said.
“In any event, his health is so compromised now that he needs ready access to a hospital. I appreciate Ms Culleton is concerned but we will monitor his every movement … it’s not our role to punish the man but to assess the risk, and we have done that.”
Ms Culleton said that “meant absolutely nothing” and women would “not be able to sleep safely in their beds anymore” with Bakewell on the loose.
“I’m calling on the State Government, again, to urgently investigate the Parole Board’s decision,” she said.
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Ms Nelson said the board was not “condoning nor ignoring his drug use” but he had “otherwise been compliant”.
Ms Culleton said the issue was not punishment, but protection and Bakewell had “no regard for the law”.
“This is a man who is as dangerous today as he was 31 years ago when he raped and murdered my sister — a man who has no remorse,” she said.
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