Ian Richard Conole: Murderer released on parole after serving 29 years for murder of ex-wife Dorothy Conole

A cold-blooded killer who forced his ex-wife to write a farewell letter to her own children before murdering her and attempting to kill himself has been released from prison after almost three decades behind bars.

But even now, 29 years later, a risk assessment by the senior clinical psychologist warned that the murderer, Ian Richard Conole, has “a lack of insight into the violent nature of his offence”.

Conole was serving a life sentence for the wilful murder of his former partner Dorothy Conole in her home in 1995.

He bound her wrists and ankles and stood over her as he waited for her to pen a final goodbye to her two kids.

When the Perth woman managed to finish putting down her last thoughts to the children she would leave behind, Conole suffocated her to death inside her home on December 4.

In her remarkably peaceful note, she revealed that it all seemed “like a dream” and urged her children not to “hate” before hurriedly signing off.

“I am sitting here writing this letter at your father’s insistence. It’s not one I want to write, nor would I want your dad to write. I have just been told that I am going to be killed, and then your dad will take his own life. I’m finding the whole thing like a dream,” she wrote.

“I don’t want to die, and funnily enough, I don’t hate your dad even now. I am being rushed. All I can say is I feel so much for all of us.

“Please stand by each other and give each other strength — be there for each other and do not blame anything or anyone, for blame is hate. I really don’t hate.

“I’m having to go now. Goodbye. I love you. Mum xxx.”

Conole had gained access to his ex-wife’s Darwin apartment about 1am and subjected her to mental and emotional torture in the hour that led up to her death.

After he killed the 45-year-old, he added at the bottom of the letter: “Your mother died bravely. I hope there is a God for her . . .”

He also callously wrote the word “liar” in lipstick on her forehead.

He then sat inside her home and wrote numerous letters to Dorothy’s family and friends before walking to the post office and sending them.

On return, he purchased anaesthetic ointment, which he rubbed on his arms before slashing them in an attempt to kill himself.

However, the pain became too much, and he called triple-0.

Conole, aged 48 at the time, was handed a life sentence in 1996 with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.

In sentencing, Justice Sir William Kearney said that although the WA couple were divorced, he somehow gained a key to her apartment, which allowed him to break in and read her diaries.

Justice Kearney said Conole made plans to kill Dorothy after reading her memoirs, which had reportedly contained accounts of relationships with other men.

“I think he committed this murder driven by one of the oldest passions of man: If I can’t have you, no one will,” Justice Kearney said.

After serving 29 years, Conole, now in his late 70s, was released on supervised parole for three years on May 16 after completing a resocialisation program and undergoing assessment by a clinical psychologist.

In a report prepared by the senior clinical psychologist — which included a violence-risk scale assessment — Conole was described as having “a lack of insight into the violent nature of his offence” and “poor emotional awareness”.

“Mr Conole has poor emotional awareness and demonstrates deficits in his ability to regulate his emotions, which often contributes to a propensity towards aggressive interpersonal interactions,” the psychologist wrote.

The senior clinical and forensic psychologist also highlighted Mr Conole’s lack of motivation to obtain treatment and his generally abrasive interpersonal style.

Other factors identified by the violence risk scale assessment included an aggressive personality style, a history of physical assault, a history of sexual jealousy, stalking behaviour and weapon use.

Despite his risk factors, Conole has been deemed as low risk for perpetrating intimate partner violence as well as violent reoffending in the community due to his advanced age and poor physical health.

His “well-considered” parole plan also included residing with his sister and engaging with suitable professional support.

Conole was placed on several conditions, including not consuming alcohol, attending counselling sessions, disclosing any new relationships to his community corrections officer and remaining in WA.

In 2000, Ms Conole’s mother, Melvie Lawson, pleaded for her ex son-in-law to serve his jail sentence in the Northern Territory to help preserve fond WA memories of Dorothy.

Dororthy’s sister, Jill Ferguson, had also called for Conole to remain in a Northern Territory prison over concerns his sentence could be lightened.

“Conole took a bag to my sister’s apartment — it contained an axe handle, some tape, a knife and some local anaesthetic cream which he thought might make his suicide attempt less painful — the cream was for haemorrhoids,” Ms Ferguson wrote. “Conole subjected my sister to mental and emotional torture for quite some time before he killed her.

“I cannot impress on you enough that Conole’s family are a means to an end — because — a transfer to WA will likely be a transfer to a lighter/reduced sentence.”

Mrs Lawson’s dying pleas helped block his request to transfer his 25-year murder sentence to a WA jail.

However, in 2006, Conole was transferred to a WA prison from Darwin.

The feeling for the family was most aptly summed up in a victim impact statement written by Mrs Lawson.

“The hurt goes on when I am having an asthma attack. I wonder if this was as Dorothy felt as she was trying to gasp for breath,” Mrs Lawson wrote.

Dorothy was born in Nedlands in 1950. Her father, Frank Lawson, described her as an “outgoing person” who loved life.

“Dorothy was very down to earth and would never harm anybody. If she could help someone out, she would,” he wrote.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

THE LETTER

“I am sitting here writing this letter at your father’s insistence. It’s not one I want to write nor would I want your dad to write. I have just been told that I am going to be killed, then your dad will take his own life. I’m finding the whole thing like a dream.

Bevan and Tanya I am so very proud to have been able to call you our children & I am proud of how between Ian & I we produced from love you two.

I am being rushed. All I can say is I feel so much for all 4 of us.

In hindsight one always sees ways that things could have been done differently I am no different. But I know both your dad & I did our best.

If I have hurt you in any way, it hasn’t been intentional. If I haven’t been what you have wanted me to do or be, I’m sorry.

I have grown up with you children & your dad. I was so very green & scared about life & everything. I really didn’t have a clue about anything. But along we all went.

I could have loved you more I know that now but I know at the times throughout our being as one family I loved you 110%.

Bevan, Tanya thank you for being you and thank you for all you have given.

Please don’t hold,onto antything because you are yioujng & have so mkuch to give & klive & love for.

I love you both so very mkuch.

Thanks you for touching my life.

Love & God Bless

Mum xxx

….

There is so much I want to do & say & share with you both. There are so many discoveries to make together & so many mountains to climb to slide down the other side.

I don’t want to die and funnily enough I don’t hate your dad even now.

Please, please, I know how hurt you ere when dad left for Cairns, how hurt we all were.

Now please stand by each other and give each other strength — be there for each other and do not blame anything or anyone for blame is hate. I really don’t hate.

I’m having to go now. Goodbye.

I love you. Mum xxx.”

…..

Your Mother died bravely. I hope there is a God for her …