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No body, no parole: Should it be law?

Otago Daily Times Online News·Thursday, 7 May 2026·26 days ago
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The brother of Michael McGrath is backing a law that would ensure convicted murderers remain behind bars if they refuse to reveal the location of their victim’s body. National MP Tom Rutherford has put forward a member’s bill, the Concealment of Location of Victims Remains Bill, which aims to amend section 9 of the Sentencing Act 2002. The amendment would require sentencing courts to consider an offender’s failure to disclose the location of a victim’s body as an aggravating factor. One of the cases Rutherford is focusing on in his bid is the disappearance of builder Michael McGrath. His childhood friend, former prison guard David Benbow, was convicted of his murder in 2024 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years. Benbow is awaiting a Court of Appeal hearing against the conviction and sentence. It will be heard in November. He says there was a “miscarriage of justice” at his trial.…

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