Former knight James Wallace continues to deny offending, will only be allowed approved visitors on parole

Former knight, James Hay Wallace, continues to deny his sexual offending against three young men, but once he’s released from prison on parole, he must abide by a number of special conditions in what the Parole Board said would be fundamental in eliminating the opportunity for reoffending.

The almost-86-year-old first appeared before the Parole Board in September and continued to deny all his offending.

He appeared again last Friday, where the board granted him parole and he’s set to be released from prison on December 11, his lawyer David Jones KC earlier confirmed to Stuff.

On Thursday, the board released its decision to Stuff after reaching the conclusions Wallace is no longer an undue risk if special conditions are imposed for a period of six months after his end sentence date.

Those include not allowing visitors that haven’t been approved by three people, who were not named in the decision.

“That will ensure that Mr Wallace is never placed into the situation where he is able to sexually assault a visitor to his house. This provision is fundamental in our view to reducing his risk by eliminating as well as we are able the opportunity for offending,” the decision said.

He is also required to stay at a withheld address every night and not to have communication with his co-offenders –Mika X and Jevan Goulter.

At the hearing, the board spent some time talking with Wallace about his high-risk situations.

In discussing the risks identified in the safety plan, Wallace said many of the high risk situations were not actually high risks for him and not relevant to him.

“The key point for someone like Mr Wallace, who is a denier, in the preparation of a safety plan is, as we have said to him, to turn the issue around the other way and identify what he needs to do to prevent himself from being the subject of what he views as false complaints.

“And, so, after some discussion, that risk seemed to reduce itself primarily to Mr Wallace not having the opportunity to meet young men who might have been seeking his help and support,” the decision said.

Back in June, Wallace was revealed as the “prominent businessman” who had sexually abused three young men after he failed to be granted leave to appeal by the Supreme Court. This was more than five years after he’d been charged.

Stuff and NZME successfully revoked his name suppression on the morning of his first trial in 2019. However, at every step, Wallace appealed. Until the Supreme Court said no more in June.

At the hearing in September, Wallace told the board it would be a lie if he now said he was guilty just in attempt to get home.

“I am almost 86. I am really not capable of being a risk to anyone in any sexual sense and otherwise. I’m always more helpful than I am a risk to society generally,” Wallace said.

“For as long as your hands can move you are potentially a risk…for as long as your brain works you are able to attempt to dissuade,” board member Sam Perry asked Wallace.

“It’s totally outside of my character…my character at this age especially,” Wallace replied.

At Wallace’s September appearance, he told the board, one of the reasons he should be granted parole was because he’d reached a critical point in the restoration of the McLean’s Mansion in Christchurch.

“I think I have a really great project ahead of me finishing off the restoration house,” Wallace said showing the board printed out copies of the mansion.

“It’s got to a critical point where I have to decide on plumbing and bathroom and we’ve got as far as we can do, but I really need to be down there,” Wallace said.

In the recent decision, the board said while Wallace will be required to stay at his house each night and this will limit his ability to go to Christchurch – he’s still able to go there and back in a day.

He also won’t be allowed to possess or consume alcohol, controlled drugs or psychoactive substances, apart from those prescribed by a health professional.

A number of other conditions include attending counselling as directed by a probation officer and not to have contact with any of his victims.

Earlier this year, then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced that Wallace was no longer allowed to use the title “Sir” after the government made a request to King Charles to strip him of his knighthood.

Wallace was appointed as Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to the arts in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Back in 2021, Wallace was found guilty of sexually assaulting three men who were visiting him at his Epsom home, Rannoch House.

The three men were indecently assaulted in 2000 or 2001, 2008 and 2016.

In the two earlier cases, both men had been invited to Wallace’s home for business meetings seeking grants. In both cases, they had been given alcohol and the assaults took place after they were taken on a tour of the house.

One of the men believed Wallace had spiked his drink with drugs.

In the 2016 assault, the victim was living and working at the house as part of Wallace’s residency.

He told the court he had food poisoning on the night he was attacked. The same night Wallace climbed into his bed, “spooned” him, then sexually assaulted him.

After the 2016 victim went to the police, the businessman and others made several attempts to convince him to drop the complaint.

At Wallace’s sentencing, Justice Geoffrey Venning said it was for Wallace’s benefit to bribe the victim from giving evidence and he was prepared to spend significant amounts of money.

“You had others do your dirty work,” Justice Venning said.

Where to get help for sexual violence

• Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00, click link for local helplines.
• Safe to Talk 0800 044 334, text 4334, webchat safetotalk.nz or email [email protected].
• Victim Support 0800 842 846
• The Harbour Online support and information for people affected by sexual abuse.
• Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843 (females only)
• Male Survivors Aotearoa Helplines across NZ, click to find out more (males only).
• If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.

Need help? If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation, click the Shielded icon at the bottom of this website to contact Women’s Refuge in a safe and anonymous way without it being traced in your browser history. If you’re in our app, visit the mobile website here to access Shielded.