A convicted murderer may spend the rest of his life in prison after another violation of his parole.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross confirmed George Charles Trounson was arrested yesterday morning at Taieri Mouth for breaching the terms of his parole, and taken to the Otago Corrections Facility.
In 1991, the then 19-year-old Trounson was jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Russell Warren Neil.
Trounson, a polytechnic student, beat Mr Neil about the head with a piece of broken stair baluster on June 24, 1990.
Trounson was released on parole in 2001. Since then, he has been recalled to prison four times, with alcohol a factor in each decision.
In 2003, he was found guilty of assaulting a police officer and was sentenced to five months' jail.
In January, the New Zealand Parole Board noted Trounson was a life-sentence prisoner whose parole conditions included the non-consumption or possession of drugs and alcohol.
"If he is recalled, he is back, of course, for an indefinite time, including the possibility of the whole of the rest of his life there," the board said.
"Alcohol has been such a central ingredient to his offending, including the index offence of murder, that it is essential that he commits himself completely to complete abstinence for life."
The board noted there were no public safety issues as long as Trounson took his Antabuse medication, and remained abstinent from alcohol and illicit drugs.
"When you are on a life sentence, any breach of conditions is considered a risk, and any risk to the community is grounds for a recall," parole board communications manager Sonja de Friez said.
"An indication of risk is all we need; we don't need evidential proof."
The latest parole hearing was likely to be held in the next three weeks, she said.
Under the Parole Act 2002, a recalled prisoner would have their case reviewed every 12 months.
