ACC murderer denied parole

Johnny Manu.

A man who stabbed an ACC staffer to death after a dispute over a payment has been declined parole.

In June 1999 Johnny Manu stabbed 33-year-old Janet Pike to death at the Henderson ACC office. He had been receiving ACC payments for self-inflicted cuts, but was turned away by Mrs Pike twice on the day of the murder.

He returned to the office with a knife and stabbed Mrs Pike through the chest in a waiting room.

Manu, then 35, pleaded guilty to the murder and in September 1999 was jailed for life with a minimum non parole period of 12 years.

His parole hearing came a day after the man accused of murdering Ashburton Work and Income New Zealand employees Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland appeared in court for the second time.

Russell John Tully, 48, allegedly shot the women dead on September 1. He is also accused of attempting to murder a third worker, Lindy Curtis, who was was shot in the leg and badly injured, and Kim Adams. He had been trespassed.

Manu had previous convictions for knife attacks. In 1981 we held a trimming knife to the throat of a shop assistant and later jumped the counter at a post office threatening a teller with a knife.

In 1987 he knocked on the door of a Glen Eden home and stabbed the occupant in the chest. It was understood to be a revenge attack but Manu got the wrong house.

Then in 1994 Manu, after being turned down for a credit card, returned to a West Auckland bank and stabbed a teller in the hand.

At his murder trial the court heard Manu suffered schizophrenia and had a penchant for knife attacks. He had been in and out of psychiatric institutions since he was a teenager and was receiving outpatient care at the time of Mrs Pike's murder.

However, a psychiatrist for the defence said Manu was fit to plead and he was convicted.
Parole Board spokeswoman Justine Turner confirmed Manu had been seen by the Parole Board on Monday.

"Mr Manu was declined parole as he still poses an undue risk to the safety of the community. Mr Manu will be seen again in a year," she said.

Manu was previously denied parole.