Mass murderer Douglas Crabbe could walk free from prison after parole recommendation
THE Territory’s worst mass murderer, Douglas Crabbe, could be soon walk free from a Western Australian prison after being recommended for parole
Northern Territory
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THE Territory’s worst mass murderer could be soon walk free from a Western Australian prison after being recommended for parole.
The WA parole board recommended Douglas Crabbe, who is serving a life sentence for driving a road train through an Uluru pub murdering five people in 1983, be released on parole. His bid for freedom now rests with WA Attorney General Michael Mischin.
In 2013, Crabbe was recommended for parole but Mr Mischin refused to release the convicted murderer from prison. Crabbe, now 67, was initially sentenced to five consecutive life sentences, without the possibility of release for driving the truck through a brick wall at the Inland Hotel.
Crabbe was later given a 30-year non-parole period by the NT Supreme Court and has since been moved to Perth on compassionate grounds.
Survivor Lydia Hannah lost four friends at the Inland Hotel and told the NT News she had been notified by the WA Parole Board of their recommendation.
She pleaded with Mr Mischin to leave Crabbe behind bars in Acacia Prison.
“It’s incredibly ridiculous. They just don’t get it,” she said.
“If he walked into that bar and randomly shot 21 people, killing five and injuring 16 others people can relate to that and there’s probably no way the parole board over there would have said he should be let out.
“The fact that he used a road train to mow down 21 people, which is the same thing but with a different weapon. It’s like it ‘s a foreign concept.“
Ms Hannah said she was still coming to terms with the recommendation.
A spokeswoman for Mr Mischin said he was yet to receive the parole board’s report.
“The decision whether to grant Mr Crabbe parole rests with the Attorney-General.
He is yet to receive the Prisoner Review Board’s report and recommendation so he is not in a position to comment,” the spokeswoman said.
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