Death faker released early

A man who faked his own suicide to start a new life has been released on parole, more than a year before his sentence was due to finish.

After faking his suicide at Port Waikato in 2002, Bruce James Dale started a new life in Christchurch under a new name, which he stole from a baby's tombstone.

His wife was able to claim $1.1 million once he was declared dead in 2004.

With a new IRD number and driver's licence, Dale bought properties, set up bank accounts, operated a business and started a new relationship.

The fraud was discovered when he applied for a passport under his real name early last year.

He later pleaded guilty to five fraud charges and was jailed for two years and four months last September.

Dale, who had been due to finish his sentence in October 2010, was released today after a parole board found he was unlikely to reoffend.

The board said it took into account the fact that, after the original offending, Dale had lived in a perfectly responsible way even though his true identity was not known.

In granting the 44-year-old parole, the board imposed five conditions including that he not have any contact with the victims of his offending.

Dale would also have to reside at a specified address, undertake counselling, have routine drug and alcohol audits and attend appointments with health professionals as directed by his parole officer.

- NZPA