2 days ago
Uluru truck mass murderer Douglas Crabbe's parole bid rejected in WA
A convicted mass murderer who killed five people when he ploughed his semi-trailer into a packed pub at Uluru has had his bid for parole rejected in Western Australia.
On August 18, 1983, in a fit of rage after being kicked out for intoxication, Douglas Crabbe slammed his truck into the side of the Inland Hotel.
It resulted in the deaths of David Seng, 24, Adrian Durnin, 21, Helen Fuller, 22, Patricia Slinn, 45 and Leslie McKay-Ramsay, 35.
Many others were seriously wounded in the attack.
Crabbe is serving five consecutive life sentences for the crime.
He has been eligible for parole since 2013, but his bids for freedom have been consistently denied by the government of Western Australia, where he is now incarcerated.
The WA Prisoners Review Board confirmed Crabbe's latest bid for parole was rejected in July.
WA Attorney-General Tony Buti said in a statement he had "decided not to release Douglas Crabbe at this time".
"I have taken into account the seriousness of the offence, a crime where five people were murdered and a further 16 were injured, some seriously," he said.
"I also considered the views of the surviving victims and persons affected by Mr Crabbe's actions.
"A number of those have spoken publicly and written to me personally expressing their opposition to Mr Crabbe's release which was at the forefront of my decision."
Crabbe was relocated to Acacia Prison near Perth from the Northern Territory in 2005.
NT Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said "the decision of the Western Australian Attorney-General is respected".
"This horrific crime has had a profound and lasting impact on the victims, their families, and the wider community," she said.
Among the survivors of the attack is Bernadette Schiller, who said she still suffers anxiety and PTSD from the terror of Crabbe's actions that night in 1983.
"I am grateful that this bid for parole has not been granted," she said in a statement.
"As a survivor of this horrific event, I cannot express strongly enough my belief that he should never be released.
"The trauma and pain inflicted on the victims and their families will never fade.
"It is of utmost importance that justice is served and that the safety of the community remains a priority."
Ms Schiller said Crabbe had "never taken any responsibility or remorse for his actions".
"His victims have been left with a never-ending nightmare," she said.
Despite Ms Schiller's calls, the WA Prisoners Review Board confirmed Crabbe would again be eligible for parole in late 2026.
By that time he will be 79 years old.
