Manu Hausia was recently returned to his homeland after being granted parole, three and a-half years before his sentence officially expires.
The Parole Board heard there were "wraparound services" awaiting Hausia in Tonga and there was a letter from family members emphasising their backing.
"They are obviously prosocial persons and are devastated by what Mr Hausia has done in New Zealand, but will provide whatever support is required to ensure that nothing like this happens again," panel convener Judge Louis Bidois said.
In 2021, the man met his victim at a rugby game in Auckland and quickly moved to Oamaru to live with her.
But the living situation soon became fraught.
Facing domestic-violence charges, Hausia was bailed to Ashburton and ordered not to contact his then partner.
However, he disregarded his bail to continue living with her.
In September 2022, she called police following an argument with the drunken defendant.
Hausia put her in a stranglehold and stabbed her in the head and body more than a dozen times with a kitchen knife and scissors, telling her he would be the last person she would ever see.
When another person intervened, he stabbed them as well.
Hausia pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other violence charges and was jailed for six and a-half years.
While Corrections told the Parole Board at a hearing in August that the Springhill Corrections Facility inmate was "always respectful", that had not always been the case.
Last year, Hausia had another 13 months added to his prison term (taking it to a total of seven years seven months) for attacking another inmate in the exercise yard at the Otago Corrections Facility.
Since his last parole hearing in April, the man had completed a group-therapy programme for Pasifika prisoners and there was no further treatment recommended.
"Mr Hausia has obviously reflected on the serious nature of his offending. He is remorseful for what he did," Judge Bidois said.
"He acknowledges the harm that he has caused and as part of his rehabilitation he will continue to work with his church that will provide both spiritual and mental well-being support."
Hausia returned to Tonga on October 13.
