A legal battle has begun over whether a man dubbed the "Beast of Blenheim" should stay in prison for a further four years.
Stewart Murray Wilson was jailed for 21 years for sex offences, including stupefying and raping 16 women.
Wilson was due before the Parole Board on Wednesday for final conditions to be set for an expected release in December at the end of two-thirds of his sentence.
However, the Department of Corrections has applied under the Parole Act to extend Wilson's jail sentence to the full term - till 2012.
Wilson will appeal against that application before a hearing expected in December or January.
