Axe murderer Ivan John Jones released from Risdon Prison on parole

An axe murderer who has been sent back to jail four times for breaching his parole conditions has again been given a shot at freedom.

AN AXE murderer who committed the “cruel, brutal and deliberate murder of a completely innocent old man’’, leaving his victim to die, has been released from jail on parole for the fifth time.

Ivan John Jones was 19 years old when he murdered 72-year-old pensioner David William Crawford at Lefroy, near Launceston, in 2000.

On the morning of the murder, Jones went to Mr Crawford’s house to rob him, but the pensioner interrupted the burglary, and was struck six times with an axe.

Jones left Mr Crawford’s house with just $80.

While Jones pleaded not guilty to murder during his trial, Mr Crawford’s pacemaker had indicated the exact time of his death, foiling the killer’s alibi.

After being found guilty by a jury, the-then Chief Justice William Cox sentenced Jones to 20 years in jail with a non-parole period of 10 years.

This is Jones’ fifth attempt at parole, having breached previous orders in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2019, often due to drug use.

In its newly-published decision, the Parole Board of Tasmania said Jones had previously breached his parole conditions on one occasion by taking drugs, then “attempting to disguise this by failing to attend for drug testing and ultimately tampering with a sample”.

However, the board said since Jones was returned to Risdon Prison for his most recent breach in April 2020, he had “demonstrated a good standard of compliance”.

Risdon Prison. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“There is little doubt that the applicant requires significant support in order to maintain sobriety in the community,” the board said.

“The board accepts that the applicant continues to maintain a motivation for pro-social change and his ongoing attempts at parole, despite the failures having significantly increased his sentence period, demonstrate that motivation and his struggle.”

It said Jones had shown “good insight” into his risks and had established support to help him return into the community.

Retired detective Bob Coad, along with fellow policeman Patrick Groves, investigated, arrested and charged Jones at the time.

Mr Coad said Jones had a troubling background, was “easily led”, and could breach parole again.

“He can’t help himself unless he’s totally locked out of that environment,” he said.

Greg Barns SC, chair of the Tasmanian Prisoners Legal Service, said drug possession “should not be a reason for a person having their parole revoked”.

“Many prisoners use cannabis for example because they find it gives them pain relief or alternatively it is used as a mental health support as an alternative to Valium,” he said.

“What we should be doing is assisting people who are using drugs.”

Jones was paroled as of December 7 last year, with conditions he be placed under electronic monitoring, stick to a mental health care plan, and abide by victim protection orders.

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