Third parole bid for murderer Andrew John Semmens who brutalised Launceston stranger

A man who murdered a stranger in Launceston with “not one iota of justification” has been granted parole for a third time, after being repeatedly sent back to jail over breaches.

Perth man Andrew John Semmens, then 27, murdered a stranger in a Launceston suburban street in 2008.

A murderer who beat a Launceston stranger to death with a blockbuster handle has been released from jail on parole for a third time after repeatedly breaching the conditions placed on his freedom.

Andrew John Semmens, now aged 42, flew into a range in December 2008 when he hit a wheelie bin with his four-wheel drive in the suburb of Ravenswood.

He drove down the closest driveway and brutally bashed its occupant – Nathan John Woolley – without “one iota of justification” while two other men held him.

Mr Woolley, 31, died from his injuries four days later, on Christmas Day.

Ravenswood man Nathan Woolley, 31, tragically died on Christmas Day 2008.

After being convicted of murder, Semmens was jailed for 20 years and six months, with a non-parole period of 12-and-a-half years.

In a newly-published decision, the Parole Board of Tasmania said Semmens was first released on parole in May 2022 after deeming he was suitable for reintegration into the community.

However, he appeared before the board on warrants for non-compliance and new offending and was sent back to jail that November.

Semmens was again granted parole in September 2023, but breached it by associating with “persons not permitted”, with his parole revoked in October.

He appeared for his third parole bid on February 16 this year, with the board noting he’d previously been assessed as being “at risk of impulsive behaviour and vulnerable impulse due to his entrenched beliefs and personality style”, which had been reinforced during his years in prison.

The front lawn of Nathan Woolley’s Ravenswood home, where the attack occurred.

The board said Semmens had been “reflective” since being taken back into custody, and had realised the importance of distancing himself from past associates.

Semmens said he was aware his parole conditions were “black and white” and that he’d “kept to himself” in jail.

“I thought most of these people were friends. They just used me and don’t care about the best of me. I only have a limited few people to rely on for support,” Semmens told the board.

Semmens, who has been employed while at Risdon Prison and has been housed in minimum security, was granted parole as of February 27.

He will be subject to electronic monitoring, and is prohibited from entering specified areas or associating with certain people.

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