Snowtown killer's outing from prison 'sickening', victim's nephew says

The nephew of one of the "bodies in the barrels" murder victims says seeing images of convicted serial killer James Spyridon Vlassakis out in public is "sickening".Ron Lane, the nephew of victim Barry Lane, said the images of Vlassakis leaving the Adelaide Pre-release Centre yesterday brought back dark memories and a fear of inadvertently running into him in public."Seeing the photo for the very first time of him now is a shock to the system and gives flashbacks on why he was in [prison]," he said."It's just a memory of everything that has happened."You just wish that you could turn back the clock and this sort of thing was just a bad, horrible dream."Ron Lane was about seven when he last saw his uncle. (ABC News)Vlassakis, the youngest of the perpetrators involved in the notorious serial killings, was jailed for life in 2001 and given a 26-year non-parole period, backdated to his arrest in 1999.His testimony helped authorities to convict John Bunting and Robert Wagner, who were jailed for 11 and 10 murders, respectively.His testimony also helped to convict murder accomplice Mark Ray Haydon, who was released into the community in after serving a 25-year sentence.Vlassakis pleaded guilty to the murders of Fred Brooks, Gary O'Dwyer, David Johnson and his half-brother Troy Youde.Last year the Parole Board granted Vlassakis parole, but the state government tried to block the decision.It was subsequently upheld in a ruling handed down by the Parole Administrative Review Commissioner last month.The old Snowtown bank building, where eight bodies were found in 1999. (ABC News: Che Chorley)Vlassakis will spend up to 12 months at the pre-release centre while the Parole Board monitors his progress and decides on the conditions for his release into the community.Vlassakis walked through the centre's car park yesterday, accompanied by another man, before driving off in a car and returning later in the morning.Parole Board chair Frances Nelson KC previously said Vlassakis would be subject to the "standard conditions" of parole, including a curfew, restricted movements and drug and alcohol testing.Mr Lane told the ABC he was worried about stumbling across Vlassakis while out in public."As we all know, Adelaide is very small and you can just about bump into anybody," he said."You could go down the shops, not knowing that he's out as well, and you're coming towards him, you could just be frozen solid."Barry Lane was one of the 12 victims of the murders. (Supplied)Mr Lane was about seven years old the last time he saw his uncle, who was killed by Bunting and Wagner in October 1997.Some of his fondest memories of his uncle included going on drives and to get fish and chips."We'd go to a playground and he would push you on the swing," Mr Lane said.He said Vlassakis's transition back into the community was "a failure"of the justice system, and felt uncertain the parole conditions were adequate enough to keep the community safe."Knowing that someone like that is out here sends a sickening [shock] to the body," Mr Lane said."I didn't expect him to be out this quick to be adjusting to life on the outside when he should be locked up like the other two in there."This guy should have got 100 years behind bars for killing four victims."It doesn't make anything right that he can be out there like nothing's happened."Our loved ones never got to see the light of day because of what he did to them, and what the others did."In a statement released yesterday, a government spokesperson said Vlassakis would be "subject to strict conditions for the remainder of his life", with any breach bringing the possibility of his return to custody.