Source: Radio New Zealand
Allan Titford was found guilty of 39 charges in a trial in 2013. RNZ
A Northland man sentenced to 24 years’ jail after being convicted on a raft of charges, including rape and arson, has again been denied parole – but could be released later this year.
Allan Titford, a farmer and prominent anti-Treaty activist, was found guilty of 39 charges in a trial in 2013.
As well as raping his wife and violence against his children, he was convicted of perjury, obstructing justice, and burning down his own home north of Dargaville – an arson he blamed on local Māori.
Titford was cleared of 14 other charges, including rape, arson, threatening to kill and assault.
Now in his mid-60s and having been behind bars for 13 years, Titford appeared before the Parole Board for the ninth time on Thursday afternoon.
After an hour-long hearing – during which Titford at times digressed into unrelated matters and had to be brought back to topic – panel convenor Jan-Marie Doogue told him he would not be released at this point.
However, the board would see him again in July.
“If everything goes well you can reasonably look forward to release at that time.”
One of the sticking points at previous hearings was the lack of a suitable parole address.
That had now been resolved with the board accepting a rural North Island property a good distance from his victims.
His arson conviction had also made finding accommodation difficult.
Another sticking point was Titford’s insistence he was innocent.
Judge Doogue said the board was concerned he had never accepted his convictions for two rapes of his wife and serious physical violence against his children.
Titford responded: “My position is the same as it always has been. It was dealt with by the court that put me in prison.”
To which Judge Doogue replied: “Yes, and the court took a different view”.
Titford was asked if would agree to move to another prison, if that would improve his chances of getting on a release-to-work programme and speed up his release.
He said he did not want to move when, he claimed, Māori were still trying to claim his properties, houses had burned down and stock had been poisoned.
He also feared being stood over by the Killer Beez (a gang) if he went to another jail.
Where he was now, everyone knew him because he was in charge of recycling.
“I’ve got one of the messiest jobs,” he said.
He also had use of a computer at his current jail, which he needed for the four court cases he was pursuing.
One was in Tasmania while the others were in the Far North, relating to water and land access.
He did not intend to seek work once released, saying he was of retirement age and too busy with “legal matters”.
“Trying to work and do that is an impossibility,” he said.
In any case, he had always been self-employed and working for someone else would be “alien”.
Titford said he had no intention of seeking relationships once outside.
Instead, he hoped to learn Spanish and possibly join a language group.
He had previously indicated an interest in moving to Australia – Titford has Australian citizenship – but would need to “tidy up loose ends” in New Zealand first.
Titford ‘calmer’
Lawyer Philip Osborne told the board Titford had become “much calmer, more flexible and adaptive”.
He had no misconducts, and had lived in a self-care unit for a long time without incident.
He posed no undue risk to community safety, Osborne said.
In sentencing Titford in the Whangārei District Court in 2013, Judge Duncan Harvey said the then 53-year-old had subjected his wife and family to a “reign of terror” that had started in 1989.
After his land was bought by the Crown in the 1990s to settle a Treaty claim with Te Roroa, Judge Harvey said Titford attempted to win public sympathy by sabotaging his own bulldozer and burning down his homestead.
“These incidents received nationwide publicity and, as a result of your actions, the local Māori people earned the anger of many people in New Zealand who sympathised with you because of what they saw as a grave injustice. It is time for the people of New Zealand to learn the truth,” Judge Harvey said at the time.
The compulsory purchase of his farm sparked Titford’s 20-year campaign against the Waitangi Tribunal and the Treaty settlements process.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand