Warning: This story discusses graphic details of a crime scene and violence
A man jailed more than 15 years ago for a gruesome murder in Palmerston North says at the time he was scared of the world and disconnected from reality.
The Parole Board decided Ashley Arnopp remained a risk to the community and asked him to work on a better plan for his release. (file image) Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Ashley Arnopp was on Wednesday denied parole, after becoming eligible for release last year.
He is serving a life sentence for the December 2006 killing of Stanley Waipouri in a probable homophobic attack.
A second man, Andre Gilling, was also convicted of murdering Waipouri and was last month declined parole.
The Parole Board decided Arnopp, who is aged in his mid-30s, remained a risk to the community and asked him to work on a better plan for his release.
At a meeting at Whanganui Prison, which RNZ was granted access to, Arnopp told the board about the "new Ashley", whose work ethic and determination to stay out of trouble was strong.
But board member Paul Elenio asked him to think back to the old Ashley, asking him why such a horrifically violent attack happened.
Arnopp said that was something he had lived with since it happened.
"I think when I look at myself at that point in time there's a real disconnect from life in itself," he said.
"There's a huge level of remorse. There's shame and guilt...
"It was a real dark passage in my life. It's somewhere that I never want to be ever again."
Arnopp had to manage himself in situations where he was judged for what he did.
He and Gilling, just 17 at the time, were found by police still at the blood-stained scene of Waipouri's Rangitīkei Street flat.
Waipouri suffered head, neck and chest injuries, having been beaten for more than an hour.
The tip of his penis was missing, an ear was mutilated and there were bite marks on his nipples, but in court the question of cannibalism was never resolved.
Arnopp would never subject anyone to such violence again, he told the board.
"I was disconnected from life. I didn't understand myself. I had a lot of anger, a lot of hurt.
"The circumstances on that night were a combination of aggression, drugs and alcohol. That's just the right amount of ingredients to erupt in a horrific crime."
Elenio said Arnopp did not seem able to express why it happened. "I think that's something you need to talk about."
Arnopp told the board at one stage, he was living under a bridge and was scared of life and the world.
He said if released he would live in a caravan on a North Island property owned by a woman, who told the board she wanted to give Arnopp a chance at getting on his feet. RNZ is unable to report the location.
"I don't believe there would be a huge amount of issues and problems that would be a result of any challenges that might arise when I'm there at the property," Arnopp said.
"I'm extremely motivated to do pro-social and positive things with my time."
But police raised objections about the property, saying one neighbour had gang connections.
Arnopp said he stayed away from gangs and the woman who owned the property said she did not know of any gang affiliation of the neighbour, with who she had a friendly relationship but was not close.
Board member Sam Perry said there were concerns about Arnopp's reliance on the woman.
Although Covid-19 restrictions were hampering inmates' ability to work outside prison boundaries, Perry said it would be advantageous if Arnopp could line up a job and have gradual releases, as suggested by a psychologist.
Arnopp said he enjoyed outdoor work such as gardening and planned to start a lawn mowing business and do a course in running a small enterprise.
At his prison unit, he worked mowing lawns and maintaining a vege garden.
Arnopp had developed his work ethic over the past decade. He said a landscape business tutor at Manawatū Prison helped that grow, mentoring him from a time when he would turn up to work high on weed.
Perry asked Arnopp what he would do if trouble arose.
Arnopp said he would stick to his safety plan.
"Because I don't do drugs and alcohol now, I'm actually able to really step back and know what's going on and know that this is not a safe situation.
"From there, if it's really intense and aggressive, I just remove myself from that situation."
Board member associate professor Philip Brinded asked Arnopp about a psychologist's report that said he was at high risk of violent offending again.
Arnopp said it was hard to read something like that given his progress, which he was proud of. The report referred to risks that would result from a worst case scenario if Arnopp didn't keep moving on with his life.
As well as the woman he proposed to live with, Arnopp was supported at his hearing by a woman who had known him since he was young.
"I've seen Ashley really grow and mature in these last few years. I've been really impressed with his determination to put the right things in place to help himself and say no to anything that will not help himself," the woman said.
Arnopp will meet with the Parole Board again in May.