Key Takeaways
- Reuben Lambie returned to New Zealand in March 2024 and is managed under a returning offender’s order that includes a strict ban on alcohol and drugs.
- He breached the no‑alcohol condition by purchasing alcohol, leading to a Nelson District Court appearance and a sentence to appear in court if called within nine months.
- In December 2019 Lambie set fire to a crowded Perth hostel while under the influence of methamphetamine, killing mother‑of‑three Tammee Lee Jones and injuring six others.
- Although diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, the court found his voluntary drug use contributed to the offence, reducing but not eliminating his moral culpability.
- Corrections treats returning offender orders similarly to parole, supervising compliance and offering practical support for employment, life skills and housing.
- The no‑alcohol restriction has been successfully challenged before, as in the Aaron Paul Pryce case, showing that such conditions can be varied by the courts.
Overview of Reuben Lambie’s Return to New Zealand
Scott Palmer, the Nelson‑Marlborough‑West Coast regional general manager for Corrections, told NZME that Reuben Lambie arrived back in New Zealand in March 2024. He is presently being managed in the community under a returning offender’s order, which subjects him to standard release conditions similar to those applied to parolees. Before Lambie’s arrival, Corrections lodged an application with the court for several interim special conditions aimed at mitigating any immediate risk to the public. Among these conditions was an explicit prohibition on possessing, using, or consuming alcohol, drugs, or psychoactive substances.
Breach of the No‑Alcohol Condition and Court Outcome
Despite the alcohol ban, Lambie was caught purchasing alcohol and subsequently appeared in the Nelson District Court this week on a Corrections charge of breaching that condition. The judge sentenced him to appear in court if called upon within the next nine months, a conditional order intended to encourage compliance while avoiding immediate incarceration. This outcome reflects Corrections’ emphasis on monitoring and guiding returning offenders rather than imposing punitive measures for first‑time breaches, provided the risk to the community remains manageable.
The Perth Hostel Fire Incident
On the night of 12 December 2019, Lambie was residing at the Exclusive Backpackers hostel in East Perth, a facility used to provide temporary accommodation for people in crisis. The hostel was at full capacity, with multiple occupants per room. Earlier that day Lambie had been in disagreement with one of his roommates. After consuming methamphetamine and still feeling its effects, he set fire to a T‑shirt and left it smouldering either on or under the spare bed in his upstairs room just after midnight.
Immediate Aftermath and Victim Impact
After igniting the shirt, Lambie left the room, closed the door, went downstairs, crossed the road to a deli, and bought two cans of soft drink, which he consumed while watching the hostel erupt in flames. His roommate awoke to find the spare bed ablaze and flames reaching the ceiling, managed to escape, and raised the alarm as the fire spread. One victim was roused by another’s alarm but found her room already filled with thick dark smoke. Tammee Lee Jones, a mother of three, was discovered unresponsive in her bedroom by firefighters and later pronounced dead from smoke inhalation. Several others were rescued from upstairs balconies or windows and treated for smoke inhalation.
Charges, Trial Considerations and Mental Health Findings
Lambie was initially charged with murder, endangering the lives and safety of others, and wilfully and unlawfully damaging a building and its contents by fire. He pleaded not guilty and sought a judge‑alone trial, citing his schizophrenia and psychosis, which he claimed caused verbal outbursts, lapses of concentration, and mood swings. The presiding judge, however, was not satisfied that a judge‑alone trial served the interests of justice and opted for a jury trial instead.
Role of Methamphetamine and Drug Use in the Offense
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported at Lambie’s June 2021 sentencing that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the fire. While this condition reduced his moral culpability, the court acknowledged that his voluntary use of methamphetamine had contributed to his actions. The combination of psychotic symptoms and stimulant intoxication was deemed a significant factor in the chain of events that led to the deadly blaze.
Corrections’ Managing of Returning Offenders
Scott Palmer emphasized that public safety remains Corrections’ top priority. Individuals subject to a returning offender order are supervised in much the same way as parolees: Community Corrections staff monitor compliance with standard release conditions, provide guidance, and intervene when violations occur. The goal is to facilitate reintegration while minimizing risk to the community.
Legal Framework for Returning Offender Orders
Not every deportee falls under Corrections supervision; the authority applies specifically to those who have been convicted of an offence overseas, served a prison sentence longer than one year, and have returned to New Zealand. Probation officers assigned to these orders assist offenders in meeting their conditions, offering practical support such as help securing employment, developing life skills, and finding stable accommodation.
Challenge to the No‑Alcohol Condition: The Pryce Case
The alcohol‑free condition imposed on Lambie has been contested before. In 2022, Aaron Paul Pryce—a deportee who had lived in Australia for over three decades and served an eight‑year sentence for a home invasion—successfully appealed the restriction in the Whanganui District Court. Pryce argued that having completed his sentence he should be allowed to enjoy a beer with friends and family. The judge agreed, removing the no‑alcohol requirement and noting that the restriction was unnecessarily punitive. This precedent illustrates that such conditions can be varied or lifted when courts determine they are no longer proportionate to the risk posed.
Reporter Background and Closing Note
Tracy Neal, a Nelson‑based Open Justice reporter for NZME, covered the story. Previously a regional reporter for RNZ in Nelson‑Marlborough, she has contributed general news, court, and local‑government pieces to the Nelson Mail. Her reporting helped bring attention to both the specifics of Lambie’s case and the broader implications of New Zealand’s returning offender management system.
