Convicted murderer Sue Neill-Fraser released on parole from prison after 13 years

Tasmania’s most infamous female prisoner, Sue Neill-Fraser, has been released from jail on parole after 13 years — but her supporters say there’s still a big fight ahead.

TASMANIA’s most infamous female prisoner, Sue Neill-Fraser, is a free woman again.

The 68-year-old was collected from the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison, at Risdon Vale, about 9am on Tuesday morning.

Neill-Fraser has spent 13 years behind bars for murdering her partner, 65-year-old radiation physicist Bob Chappell on Australia Day 2009.

During the trial, the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard Neill-Fraser murdered Mr Chappell aboard their yacht, the Four Winds, which was moored off Marieville Esplanade in Sandy Bay.

She was found to have then dumped his body overboard into the River Derwent.

Mr Chappell’s body has never been found, and Neill-Fraser has always maintained her innocence.

However, despite two appeals and a bid to the High Court with a huge following of supporters – including former Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings and independent MP Andrew Wilkie – Neill-Fraser had been unable to overturn her conviction.

She had pledged not to apply for parole, vowing not to leave prison without a full exoneration, and had planned to stage a hunger strike.

Instead, Neill-Fraser – said to be considered a “model prisoner” – applied for parole and was granted her freedom a few weeks ago.

Sue Neill-Fraser. Picture: Bruce Mounster

Rosie Crumpton-Crook, president of the Sue Neill-Fraser Support Group, said she was “very relieved that Sue’s out of prison”,

“(I’m) very happy she’s back reunited with her family, but I think there’s also a big chunk of sadness there because she’s not come out of prison on her terms,” she said.

“She’s still a convicted murderer, she’s on parole, she’s not a free person yet so we’ll keep the fight going.”

Ms Crumpton-Crook, who had worked alongside Mr Chappell at the Royal Hobart Hospital, said the support group was getting organised to continue fighting for a commission of inquiry into what they called a miscarriage of justice.

“Sue always said that she would not accept parole, that she wanted to come out of prison exonerated as a free woman. She took a lot of persuading to take parole,” she said.

“I think she was worried that if she came out of prison people would think, ‘oh she’s free, what’s the problem’. She’s been wrongly convicted and she’s not free.”

Sue Neill-Fraser Support Group president Rosie Crumpton-Crook says there’s still a “big chunk of sadness” that the grandmother didn’t come out of prison as an exonerated woman. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms Crumpton-Crook said Neill-Fraser had been spotted coming out of prison in a wheelchair as she had serious problems with her feet.

“There’s been a lot of speculation on social media about the wheelchair being a stunt. It’s not a stunt, she’s got serious issues with her feet,” she said.

“Hopefully that can be rectified now that she’s out and can get some medical treatment.”

Neill-Fraser’s daughter Sarah Bowles previously told the Mercury her mother could not speak to media as a condition of her parole.

With a head sentence of 23 years, her term of parole is set to expire in 2032.

The Parole Board of Tasmania is expected to publish the reasons behind its decision in the coming months.

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