A man who has pleaded guilty to the murder of a Christchurch woman in her Merivale home can now be revealed as having committed another similar murder 20 years earlier.
In October last year, Paul Pounamu Tainui, also known as Paul Russell Wilson, pleaded guilty to murdering Nicole Tuxford in April 2018.
Today suppression of his name and previous offending was lifted in the High Court in Christchurch.
Nicole Tuxford Photo: Supplied
Tainui was imprisoned in 1994 for the murder of his ex-partner Kim Schroder in Hokitika.
He broke into Kim Schroder's house, tied up her flatmate and waited for Ms Schroder's return, and then stabbed her to death.
He was released from prison on parole in January 2011.
In April 2018, Tainui broke into Ms Tuxford's home and waited overnight before attacking and killing her when she got home.
Following his first appearance before the parole board in 2007 for Ms Schroder's murder, the board described his crime as a particularly nasty murder.
The board noted that the sentencing judge had said that events, which Tainui had recounted to the court in Greymouth were chilling.
Tainui had planned out the attack, immobilised Ms Schroder's flatmate, callously cut off Ms Schroder jeans and pants when she complained of the cold, refused her medical treatment to wounds to her hands, and had sex with her while she was obviously fearing for her life.
The board said that Tainui was still denying and minimising his offending, including insisting that sex with his victim was consensual.
A later parole board decision in 2010 said Tainui now accepted he also raped Kim Schroder, although he had not been charged with that offence.
In the parole board decision prior to his 2011 release, Tainui was assessed as a low risk of reoffending, and had shown faultless behaviour while on outings from jail.
Tainui will be sentenced for Nicole Tuxford's murder next month.
Police found two knives on Tainui on night of murder
Police said they stopped Tainui earlier in the night at a checkpoint and found him to be carrying knives, but he was allowed to continue on.
On the night before Ms Tuxford's death, Tainui was stopped at an alcohol checkpoint, and gave a positive reading.
He caught a taxi after being processed and went directly to Ms Tuxford's home.
Superintendent John Price, the Canterbury District Commander, said he could now confirm that Tainui told officers he had two knives in his car.
The knives were secured in the boot of the car, and police kept the keys so Tainui did not have access to them.
Mr Price said Tainui was on parole at the time, but was not in breach of his conditions, which were that he did not travel to the West Coast or have contact with his previous victim's family.
"The experienced staff involved were also satisfied with the explanation he gave for the knives, which was that he needed them for work."
He said Tainui had also not come to police attention as an offender during the years since he had been on parole.
Mr Price said the staff did not and could not predict Tainui's intentions when he left the checkpoint that night.
"His behaviour gave no cause for concern, and there is no test which can predict human behaviour in these circumstances. Nevertheless this is a tragedy which has had a deep impact on the officers involved."
He said they offer their sympathies to Nicole's family, who were still coming to terms with their tragic loss.
Mr Price said their thoughts were also with the family of Tainui's previous victim, and he said they have suffered further tragedy following Tainui's actions in April last year.
Tainui also revealed to have known David Bain previously
Tainui was also the groomsman of David Bain at his wedding in Christchurch in 2014.
The two men met in prison when Tainui was serving 15 years for the murder of Ms Schroder, and stayed in regular contact until Mr Bain left Christchurch about two years ago.
Mr Bain's long-time advocate, Joe Karam, said Mr Bain was "shocked to the core" to learn that he had murdered again.
He first found his friend was linked to the incident the day after Ms Tuxford died, Mr Karam said.
"When David was still in Christchurch, Paul had appeared to be - not only to David but to everybody else - really getting on with his life. So when this happened it came as a complete surprise," he said.
"It was so unexpected after so long."
He said Mr Bain and himself both feel distressed Ms Tuxford and her family, and that the parole board made a mistake when they let Mr Tainui out.
"It's just an absolute tragic disaster that has been caused by the parole board having misassessed this person's rehabilitation."
