A man who murdered three Auckland sex workers nearly 20 years ago will remain behind bars after being denied parole.
Hayden Tyron Poulter still posed an "undue risk" to the safety of the community after spending the past 17 years in prison, the Parole Board said in its decision.
Poulter was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period 15 years in 1997 for the murder of three Auckland sex workers and the attempted murder of another victim. He was also convicted of the rape of one of his victims.
Poulter, then 35, admitted murdering and raping prostitute Natacha Hogan, 21, in Karangahape Rd.
A week later he stabbed sex worker Ladda Nimphet, and her boss Herbert Richard Norris to death in a Fort St massage parlour. The same night he also tried to kill sex worker Angkana Chaisamret.
Since his incarceration, Poulter had completed sex offender and drug treatment programmes and had started a Release to Work programme inside prison, the Parole Board decision said.
His lawyer told the board her client had an appropriate address he could be released to and prospects of employment.
She said Poulter was "highly motivated" to continue along the reintegration pathway.
During his trial, Poulter said he had a second personality called "Hell" that drove him to commit the murders.
But he told the board that four years ago he conceded that this had been a fabrication.
"He had clung to it previously as he could not bring himself to accept what he had done.
"Now he explains his offending principally through his indulgence in substance abuse," the decision said.
"He said that he still struggles with what he did, but now endeavours to look forward rather than back."
The board said Poulter appeared to have made some progress in the past four years.
"The board is however far from satisfied that his release would not pose an undue risk to the safety of the community.
"In short we are of the view that there is quite some distance for Mr Poulter to go before he could reach the statutory threshold for parole."
Day paroles and home leave was also not appropriate, the board said.
"Mr Poulter needs to be tested in a slow and gradual way in a variety of situations."
His next parole bid would be in a year's time.
By Rebecca Quilliam of APNZ
