Convicted murderer Teina Pora has been released from prison on parole after 21 years.
Teina Pora at the High Court in March. Photo: RNZ
The 38-year-old has been serving a life sentence for the 1992 rape and murder of Auckland woman Susan Burdett.
He denies having committed the crimes and a number of parties have voiced concern about the safety of the convictions, including Susan Burdett's brother. A Privy Council hearing will consider his case in November.
Pora was granted parole last month, when the Parole Board said he no longer posed an undue risk to the safety of the community.
His lawyer Jonathan Krebs says his client was released from Auckland prison early on Monday morning.
Mr Krebs says he hopes people will leave Pora alone to get on with his re-integration into society.
The Parole Board said at the time of its decision that Pora's support network remains exceptionally strong and an employer is interested in giving him an apprenticeship once all the hype and attention has settled down.