4 Feb 2016

Lisa Blakie's killer denied parole

5:23 pm on 4 February 2016

The man convicted of murdering Timaru woman Lisa Blakie has been declined parole.

Timaru woman Lisa Blakie was killed in February 2000.

Lisa Blakie Photo: SUPPLIED / NZ Police

Timothy Taylor killed the 20-year-old in February 2000 and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002, with the Court of Appeal upholding his conviction on 4 May 2005.

He became eligible for parole on 24 February 2012.

In a decision released this afternoon, the Parole Board said Taylor was last seen by the board on 5 February 2015, when parole was declined.

The board did not know at that time that Taylor had been involved in the attempted introduction of contraband into prison.

In October 2015, he brought other contraband into prison for which he incurred a misconduct and a 28-day forfeiture penalty.

He filed an appeal against the disciplinary sanction but eventually withdrew it.

In its latest decision, the Parole Board said Taylor had since acknowledged he was involved in the introduction of contraband and admitted this misconduct was a significant setback in his progress.

Taylor told the board at his latest hearing that he was not seeking parole, and put the setback down to a weakness involving "bad decision-making''.

The board found Taylor had a "very significant way to go before he could be eligible for release''.

He was described in the psychologist's report as being of "high risk of general offending involving criminal attitudes, violence, substance abuse and gang relationships''.

The decision found Taylor would need to demonstrate, over an extended period, sound good behaviour to become eligible again for placement in self-care accommodation, and any other re-integration activities that prison management saw as suitable.

Parole was declined and Taylor was due to be seen again before the end of this year.