Disgraced arts patron James Wallace continues to deny offending, to file application to CCRC

Former knight, James Hay Wallace, continues to deny his sexual offending against three young men telling the Parole Board: "To admit that I had done anything would mean that the others had won."

Wallace appeared before the Parole Board for a progress hearing on Friday after being released from prison in late 2023.

In December, he was ordered to abide by a number of special conditions in what the board said would be "fundamental in eliminating the opportunity for reoffending".

On Friday, Wallace was asked by board member Alistair Spierling if his position regarding the offending had changed. Wallace replied: "Absolutely not."

His lawyer, David Jones KC, advised the board there was an application being made to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

The CCRC was launched in 2020 and looks at cases in which someone says they have been wrongfully convicted of a crime, and have often spent years in prison.

The role of the CCRC is to review potential miscarriage of justice cases and refer appropriate cases back to an appeal court.

At the hearing on Friday, Wallace sought changes to his special conditions, including asking for permission to have contact with Mustafa Erinc Yikar, his former business manager, who was found guilty alongside Wallace for attempting to pay and stop the 2016 survivor from giving evidence.

"He's a very brilliant man ... and the ridiculous part of it is he bought it on himself with no gain ... it was totally stupid to do but it wasn't for his purpose," Wallace said.

Wallace said he needed people with expertise to run Rannoch House and its grounds.

"He has also been very good at the front gardens, which are in utter shambles since he's not been there.

"He's very knowledgeable about that I don't have anyone else at hand."

A probation officer told the board she received a "rather concerning phone call" from Yikar in April, who had "workplace grievances".

The board said Wallace could request contact with Yikar via probation.

Another condition Wallace sought for the board to amend was to be allowed to stay overnight in Christchurch while the work continued in restoring McClean's Mansion. Wallace is the sole benefactor. The board said he could apply for probation in writing before being allowed to stay overnight.

Wallace also sought to be allowed to drink alcohol. The parole board said that change to his conditions could be made.

"It's not something that I have ever been reliant on, [I've] never been an alcoholic, but to go through the rest of my life without a glass of wine at dinner was a bit unnecessary," Wallace said.

The board thanked Wallace for his input and said they did not need to see him again.

In June 2023, 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 six years after he had been charged.

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

Back in 2021, Wallace was found guilty and subsequently jailed for sexually assaulting three men who were visiting him at his Epsom mansion, 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 survivor went to the police, the businessman and others made several attempts to convince him to drop the complaint.

- Stuff