Couple's plea to Parole Board: Keep him away from us

The Parole Board has declined to release one of the men who attacked Peter Bentley of Pongakawa during a horrific home invasion.

Hopihana (Hobson) Epiha is set to serve his full nine-year sentence. However, he has indicated he wants to live in nearby Rotorua when released, and the Bentleys don't want him there.

"We are very much opposed ... He has no reason to be here. I know what he is capable of. It's only a matter of time before he re-offends ... If I saw him on my property, I'd take measures to make sure he didn't walk off," Mr Bentley said.

Today marks eight years since the Bentleys were the victims of the home invasion, in which Mr Bentley was robbed at gunpoint and beaten nearly to death at the couple's Maniatutu Rd home.

Epiha was sentenced to nine years' jail after pleading guilty at the start of 2005 to charges of aggravated robbery and wounding with intent to injure Mr Bentley.

Epiha, now in his 40s, was to serve a minimum non-parole period of six years and in late 2010 was declined parole. Another parole hearing was held before the Parole Board on October 4. In its written decision, the board said it had heard from Mr Bentley - the attack's effect on him had been profound and on Mrs Bentley it had been traumatic.

It said it had been given a clear message that Epiha must not be released to Rotorua or Te Puke and it had a legal obligation to take the victims' views into account.

It was previously reported that in 1990 Epiha shot an Australian policeman in the neck.

In March 1992, Epiha was convicted and sentenced to jail on charges of taking a car, breaking and entering, stealing, possession of a firearm to commit an indictable offence and malicious wounding with intent to prevent lawful apprehension.

Epiha was deported from Australia to New Zealand in 2000.

The board said Epiha had completed the medium-intensity rehabilitation programme.

A subsequent psychological report assessed his risk as moderate and he had been accepted on to an initiative which helped prisoners reintegrate into society. He was said to have a positive attitude but needed repeated instructions.

The board said Epiha needed to consider where he would live after release and he did not yet pose a risk that was less than undue.

The board said it would see Epiha next July to set final release conditions. He was due for release on November 7 next year.

A board spokesman said Epiha's co-offender, Mano James Tamati, who was jailed for 10 years, was also due back before the board in July. He had applied three times for parole, unsuccessfully.

Mr Bentley said he did not believe Epiha had made any changes. "[Epiha and Tamati] don't belong to the society that I want to belong to ... They have never contributed to society. The only contribution they've made is taking someone else's pleasure of life away."

He said he had been told by the board that it had control of where Epiha lived only for the first six months after his release from jail.