Honeymoon Murderer Pleads Guilty to Double Homicide

Rodney Fallowfield has admitted to killing two men in Christchurch six years after he murdered his wife during their honeymoon.

The 58-year-old appeared in the High Court on Thursday to plead guilty to the murders of Glen Allan Tukaki and Nigel John Robinson. The killings occurred at a property in Phillipstown on October 10. Fallowfield also pleaded guilty to wounding with reckless disregard and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Tukaki served as the former president of the Devils Henchmen Motorcycle Club’s Christchurch chapter.

Fallowfield’s current charges follow a 2021 conviction where he was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter for the death of his wife, Shirley Reedy. That verdict resulted in a prison sentence of four years and three months. He entered the prison system in October 2021 and was subsequently released on parole in September 2023. The Parole Board approved his release roughly one year before his statutory release date, citing his participation in individual psychological sessions that had been ongoing for about three months.

During the parole review, a relative of Reedy communicated to the Board that they had forgiven Fallowfield but sought clarity on his motivation. Fallowfield stated that no words could alleviate the distress he caused and that the act would haunt him for life. He described his regret as genuine and noted that the psychological sessions helped him learn how to remove himself from highly stressful situations. A Principal Corrections Officer provided an excellent report on his conduct, and the Board determined he was no longer an undue risk to the community.

The Parole Board ruled that Fallowfield would be released on parole based on his prison work, future planning, and community support. They noted he was considered a low risk of re-offending. The Board imposed special conditions that would remain in effect for six months beyond his original sentence date. He expressed a desire to find his own housing and employment after his current stay.

This admission marks a sharp turn for Fallowfield, who had been deemed low risk just two years prior. The interval between his 2023 parole and the October 2026 incident in Phillipstown raises questions about the effectiveness of his psychological interventions and the conditions of his release. The new guilty pleas now move the case toward sentencing, where the court will consider the circumstances of the Phillipstown incident alongside his prior history.