A quadruple murderer, whose crimes include killing three members of the same family, could be released from prison within months, despite having conceded he should never be freed.
Underworld killer Alistair MacRae, who has been in prison for almost 40 years and once told a court he should never be released, was granted parole in June without any public notification.
That decision is now under review – and will almost certainly again be heard in secret.
SA’s highly restrictive secrecy laws forced The Advertiser to seek permission on a Sunday from the Parole Administrative Review Commissioner to report on the pending review – despite it having already been reported by another media outlet.
Commissioner David Lovell granted permission to The Advertiser yesterday evening.
The Correctional Services Act 1982 bans anyone from disclosing information about a parole review without permission from the commissioner or a court – and breaches are treated as a criminal offence punishable by a $10,000 fine.
Career criminal MacRae fatally shot Dominic Marafiote near Mildura in 1985, before driving to Adelaide and killing Marafiote’s parents Rosa and Carmelo Marafiote at their home in Woodville North. He had been searching for money from a prospective drug deal.
Six months before the Marafiote murders, MacRae killed Albert O’Hara in Victoria. Following his arrest in December 1987, he was given four life sentences with a non-parole period of 36 years.
MacRae, now 77, told SA Supreme Court Justice Horton Williams before sentencing that he should never be released. “To allow me leniency is a luxury I did not extend to my victims,” he said.
“The only way to show my remorse is to ask the court to show the same leniency that I showed my victims – absolutely none. I would ask the court to give me no possible chance of release before my death in custody.”
It is understood he is currently in the Yatala prerelease centre.
Former victims’ rights commissioner Michael O’Connell said MacRae’s parole bid was a “stark contrast” to his earlier attitude.
“It’s quite extraordinary given that he indicated to the court after his sentence he should never be released,” Mr O’Connell said.
“As a consequence (of his crimes), he didn’t see that it was right to ever be released back into the community.”
Mr Lovell is reviewing the decision to release MacRae in a secretive process that can only be requested by the Attorney-General, Police Commissioner or Victims’ Rights Commissioner. It is unclear who asked for the review.
“The request he never be released would have been a relief to the Marafiote family,” Mr O’Connell said. “It’s unclear to what extent that (safety of victims’ families) was considered and that can be one of the grounds upon which the current review is lodged.”