Convicted murderer's hearing postponed

The parole hearing for the man convicted of Susan Burdett's rape and murder 14 years ago has been adjourned for the second time this year.

Teina Pora, a Mongrel Mob prospect, was sentenced to 10 years' jail for aggravated robbery, 12 years for rape and life imprisonment for murder in 1994, two years after Ms Burdett was killed.

After having his convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal, he was convicted again in 2000. The Appeal Court later that year reduced his minimum non-parole period on the murder conviction from 13 years to 10 years.

Parole Board manager Alastair Spierling said Pora was due to appear before the board yesterday, but the hearing had been adjourned until June 26.

"The board is giving counsel 14 days to put in written submissions and the Crown a further seven, and by the time they get all the paperwork together, I wouldn't anticipate another hearing for six to eight weeks." Pora had been due to appear before the board on March 7.

Mr Spierling said it was obviously not an easy issue for the board to deal with.

Another of Ms Burdett's attackers, Malcolm Rewa, was found guilty of her rape in 1998, but the jury was unable to decide on the murder charge. He was sentenced to 14 years' jail, to be served concurrently with convictions for other sexual offences, and received one of the longest non-parole periods - 22 years.

- NZPA