William Bell sought a judicial review of decisions to increase his security classifcation after an alleged plot to take a female prison officer hostage. Photo / Alex BurtonConvicted triple killer William Bell has lost a legal appeal after allegations that he was planning to take a female prison officer hostage as part of a bid to escape from Paremoremo Prison. "This information led prison staff to conclude that Mr Bell may be planning an escape," the judgment says. The female prison staff were also directed not to work in Mr Bell's unit." He compared his security classification with Philip John Smith, who escaped and fled to Brazil but was still given a lower security classification than Bell.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 11, 2021 05:34 UTC