New South Wales government fails in bid to keep the notorious paedophile behind bars

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The notorious paedophile Michael Guider, who killed schoolgirl Samantha Knight decades ago, has walked free from a Sydney prison.

Guider was released from Long Bay jail on Thursday after the supreme court rejected a New South Wales government bid to keep him behind bars for another year.

He will be subject to a five-year extended supervision order with 56 strict conditions, including that he be electronically monitored 24/7 with an ankle bracelet.

The now 68-year-old pleaded guilty in 2002 to the manslaughter of nine-year-old Samantha, who went missing after leaving her Bondi home for school on 19 August 1986. Her body has never been found.

Michael Guider, who killed schoolgirl Samantha Knight, to walk free within days Read more

The NSW attorney general, Mark Speakman, had made an application for a one-year detention order.

Speaking outside the supreme court in Sydney on Tuesday, Samantha’s mother, Tess Knight, told reporters she was angry Guider was set to walk free.

“I am not disappointed, I am angry,” Tess Knight said.

She said while she took some consolation in the fact he would be kept under very strict supervision for five years, she said she was shaking inside at the prospect of his release.

“I see the effect that this has had on the people he abused as children, who are now young adults,” she said. “They have to live with the thought of him walking around having the freedom they don’t have.”

Lisa Giles, who was abused by Guider as a child, told reporters: “A child molester and a child killer will be released among us this week.

“It’s not over and we can see the inadequacies of the justice system very clearly today. And he will reoffend and when he does, those people who enabled this will be held accountable.”

When sentenced for Samantha’s death, Guider was already serving time for numerous sex offences against more than a dozen other children between 1980 and 1996.

The judge said the hearing was to assess the risk Guider posed in the future, rather than imposing punishment for his prior offending. He found that a further period of incarceration would not serve any rehabilitative purpose.

While it could not be said definitively that Guider’s sexual interest in children had disappeared, the judge considered he had done all that could be done in terms of rehabilitation in a prison setting.

Three experts, highly experienced in psychology and psychiatry, had all agreed Guider’s risk could be reasonably managed under a stringent and lengthy system of supervision within the community, the judge said.

He had taken note of Guider’s good behaviour when he was on escorted day leave from jail.

The 56 conditions of the supervision order include electronic monitoring and providing a weekly schedule of his movements three days in advance.

He must not without prior approval attend any place used solely or mainly for the sale or display of sexually explicit material, or for providing sexual services or sexually explicit entertainment.

Guider also must not approach or have contact with anyone he knows or reasonably should know is under 18, other than incidental contact in a public place, unless he has written permission.

He is not allowed to change his name or use any other name without the approval of his supervisor, nor can he significantly change his appearance.