A Wellington man who stabbed his first wife, killed his second, and killed another partner has had his latest parole bid rejected - but he will have to be released from jail in early 2014.
Malcolm Francis is approaching the end of the 12-year jail sentence he received in 2003 for the manslaughter of his partner, Cambodian woman Wathanak Tea, in December 2001. Her body has never been found.
The conviction follows a history of domestic violence.
In England in 1975, Malcolm Francis stabbed his first wife in the neck with a knife.
Eight years later, in 1983, he bashed his second wife, Janet, to death with a frozen dog roll in their Hastings home, and received a four-year sentence for manslaughter.
Unlike most killers, who receive life imprisonment, Francis' latest conviction for manslaughter means he has a finite sentence, and must be released when it is up.
In a decision, released on Saturday, the Parole Board said Francis had a "very fragile grasp" of his own risk, after he told a parole hearing he believed alcohol was the biggest risk factor he faced if released.
"His difficulties, and his unusual personality, create problems of a much wider risk base than that," the Parole Board said.
Francis has received no rehabilitation, as it is only available to prisoners who acknowledge their guilt - and he has never done so.
A psychological assessment presented to the Parole Board in February put Francis at medium to high risk of violent reoffending, prompting Francis' counsel to seek an independent assessment - which put him at moderate risk.
The independent assessment said Francis required further interventions which were not available to him, because he continued to deny involvement in Ms Tea's death.
Noting Francis' support was largely from professionals, and not from friends or family, the Parole Board said he still had further work to do to satisfy it he would not be a risk to the community if released.
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