Police have apologised after a double-murderer was released from prison early without the victims' families' knowledge.
Jason Reihana has been let out nine years ahead of his parole, due to illness. He killed Teresa Gunn and her boyfriend Andrew Grabner in 2005, stabbing them to death in Gunn's own home.
He was sentenced in 2007 to a non-parole period of 21 years in prison, but has been a free man now for a month - and the families weren't advised beforehand due to what police are calling an "administration error".
Gunn's father Dave Gunn told NZME it was a "kick in the guts".
"All of our family filled out forms saying that if he was ever released, we would be advised. I delivered them to the courthouse myself. We've had nothing from them."
"The forms in question were not received by police," Det Snr Sgt Greg Turner told Newshub.
"Police would like to apologise for this error."
National leader Simon Bridges was the Crown prosecutor on the case back in 2005, and is appalled at the decision to release Reihana.
"I can remember this case like it was yesterday. It was a brutal, premeditated set of murders in cold blood," he told Newshub. "It was one of the most serious cases I ever prosecuted, and resulted in one of the longest non-parole period ever in New Zealand history - 21 years."
Reihana was diagnosed with leukaemia while behind bars, and served part of his sentence at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. He's been released on compassionate grounds, not expected to recover.
"But where was his compassion for the victims?" asked Bridges, who said one of the victims' sons found out after running into him.
"The family members are victims. They have lost a daughter and also a son here. They were not advised, despite having gone through the courts... so they would get advance notice."
Bridges says he can still remember the faces of both the killer and the deceased.
"I would be incredibly shocked were he to walk into a place or room that I was in. I can only but imagine how it would feel if you were a family member... Corrections needs to apologise, and there needs to be a serious investigation about this so it doesn't happen again."
It comes after Corrections let the accused Christchurch gunman send a letter to a supporter in Russia, which made its way onto white supremacist online haven 4chan.
Bridges is blaming Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis for both mistakes.
"There are clearly serious problems in Corrections and Kelvin Davis needs to answer to them."
The Parole Board said it had no registered victims for Reihana's case, and he wasn't considered a risk to the community as he can't walk.
When approached by Newshub, Kelvin Davis’ office said it is a matter for police, and not Corrections, despite Bridges' claims.
Corrections told Newshub it is not responsible.
Newshub.
