A Canterbury prisoner has asked for more than $10,000 in compensation because he was banned from sparring in a prison gym.
Richard Lyall Genge, 44, is serving a life sentence for the rape and killing of 22-year-old Christchurch woman Ann-Maree Ellens in 1994.
Genge said authorities "abused their power" when he got in trouble for breaking Christchurch Men's Prison's 'no sparring' rule, The Press reports.
In April last year, he draped a towel over a glass door to hide the fact that he was practicing his punching with another inmate, who had jandals on his hands as makeshift boxing pads. Sparring is banned because it can be difficult for staff to tell the difference between the exercise and fighting.
At the time, a visiting justice found Genge guilty of breaking the rule. Genge was charged with misconduct and lost all privileges for 21 days.
However, in March 2018, almost a year later, Genge challenged the ruling and asked for $10,500 compensation - $500 for every day of his penalty.
Genge has made a variety of legal challenges, asking for money, but has now been banned from judicial reviews for three years.
Newshub.
