KEY POINTS:
A clinical psychologist who assessed double-murderer Graeme Burton's risk of reoffending says he should not have been let out, if allegations about his violent behaviour in prison proved true.
Nicholas Lascelles gave evidence at the first day of a coroner's inquest in Wellington into the death of Karl Kuchenbecker, 26, murdered by Burton in January.
Mr Lascelles told the court he was asked to assess Burton's risk of reoffending for the Parole Board.
After interviewing him twice, he found Burton to be a moderate to high risk.
He said there should be an investigation into allegations Burton had been violent while in jail.
If those were true, then Burton should not have been released, he said.
Burton was released by the Parole Board, then killed quad biker Mr Kuchenbecker on a Lower Hutt firebreak, as well as mounting violent attacks on other people.
Burton admitted the murder and was jailed in April, sentenced to preventive detention with a 26 year non-parole period.
At the time of this offending he was on parole after serving 14-1/2 years for another murder.
The inquest will question the Corrections Department, Parole Board and Probation Service over their parts in his release.
Coroner Garry Evans began the inquest by expressing his condolences to the Kuchenbecker family.
The inquest heard Mr Kuchenbecker fought for his life after being shot several times, trying to fend off a knife-wielding Burton.
- NZPA
