An Oamaru man jailed for manslaughter after he fatally stabbed 16-year-old William Peter Lewis has been denied parole a second time.
William's family say they are relieved Daniel Ethan Smith (21) will remain behind bars for at least another two months, but remain concerned he will be released in January, having served his full sentence.
Smith appeared before the New Zealand Parole Board on September 8 in the last four months of his sentence.
His statutory release date is January 10 next year. Smith stabbed William three times in the back during an altercation in Oamaru on April 1, 2010.
Smith was originally convicted of murder and sentenced in 2011 to a minimum of 10 years' jail without parole.
He appealed the sentence and in a retrial last year was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years and nine months' jail.
The parole board decision of September 8 notes a psychological assessment completed in August assesses Smith as being at ''high risk of general reoffending''.
The report raised issues with his impulsiveness, his hostile reaction to situations and his ''unsatisfactory interaction with staff'' and references his lack of insight in respect to his offending.
Smith had attended a youth focus programme and was offered a place on the special treatment unit rehabilitation programme, but he was ''not motivated'' to attend, the report said.
Smith, who was 16 when he stabbed William, has spent the past five years of his life in jail and claims he has matured in that time.
''As the board observed to him, however, that is a very narrow slice of experience at growing up. There will be challenges that confront him ahead.''
Employment and accommodation had been arranged for Smith on his release, ''some distance from his victim's family''.
The proposed release plan has yet to be assessed by Community Corrections.
Smith will reappear before the parole board in November.
William's mother, Jenny Brokenshire, said the family was relieved Smith would remain behind bars for at least another two months so ''the rest of the kids don't have to worry about it at the moment''.
William's family still firmly believed the evidence justified a murder verdict.
''The scariest thing is, `What's going to happen when [Smith] gets out? Is this going to happen again?','' she said.
''We're fully expecting that it will.''
It was of some comfort to the family that Smith had accepted that he should not enter Timaru or Oamaru and had given an undertaking he would remain outside those areas.
Ms Brokenshire did not attend the most recent parole hearing, instead lodging a written submission opposing parole.
''[Smith] has had over five years of my life wrapped up in him and I thought that would just be me pandering to him again,'' she said.
''Nothing is ever going to put anything back right again - it can't - so I'm not going to waste my time worrying about him.''
