18 Sep 2015

Psychiatrist who poisoned wife denied parole

2:19 pm on 18 September 2015

A jailed psychiatrist who killed his wife with poison has been denied parole at his first hearing in 15 years.

Colin David Bouwer was convicted in November 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 15 years for the murder of his wife Annette Bouwer the previous year in Dunedin.

Bouwer, 65, appeared before the Parole Board at Rolleston Prison on Friday.

He admitted that his defence that Mrs Bouwer suffered from a rare condition and took her own life was wrong.

He now said they had an agreement to assist the other to die if either had a terminal illness and he did not tell his side of the story at trial after legal advice not to use the euthanasia explanation.

The board has said it is concerned about the numerous untruths Bouwer has told over the years and believed that he would benefit from psychological treatment.

Bouwer is scheduled to be seen again in August next year,