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New Zealand's youngest killer was back in court yesterday - alleged to have breached his release conditions on three occasions since November.
The charges - believed to include alcohol and drug use - follow Bailey Junior Kurariki's recall to prison in July last year for cannabis use and a parole breach last September.
Kurariki was 13 when he was jailed for seven years in 2001 for the manslaughter of Auckland pizza delivery man Michael Choy.
Now 19, Kurariki appeared in the Manukau District Court on three charges of breaching his release conditions.
One of the charges stems from an incident in November 20 last year when Kurariki is alleged to have been drinking alcohol at Mission Bay, in breach of a liquor ban as well as his strict release conditions which include not using or possessing alcohol or illegal drugs.
Kurariki had been in custody for two weeks after another alleged breach on January 28.
Kurariki has admitted two of the charges and denied a third.
Details of two offences were not disclosed in court yesterday. However, Judge Semi Epati made reference to Kurariki repeatedly failing drugs tests.
Kurariki's lawyer Jeremy Sutton argued that keeping his client in custody would see him in prison longer than the charges required.
"He is trying very hard to comply with things and in fact had done extremely well earlier on to comply with his numerous specialist conditions," Mr Sutton.
Judge Epati told Mr Sutton: "He [Kurariki] needs to understand that he, number one, cannot go on using drugs because part of the rehabilitation is to get him off drugs so that he doesn't go back the way he started off."
Then he gave Kurariki a "final chance", before releasing him on bail with a stern warning.
"Bailey Junior Kurariki, I don't know whether you'll come before me again but let me make it quite clear to you for your sake ... I really should have refused bail for you, and that is because the record shows that time and time again you have [been] given the opportunity to be at large, or on bail terms ... which is that you are not to consume alcohol and drugs. But time and time again a drugs test has been given and you have failed. And once more, although you have protested that you have not taken any drugs, it wasn't until after you've been administered that test that you realised the game was up. You then admitted that you've been taking drugs. This is not a game, Kurariki."
Judge Epati also had stern words for Kurariki's mother Lorraine West.
"Could you please give him the supervision that he needs? Don't let him out of your sight. Otherwise he is going to stuff up again."
Judge Epati called for pre-sentence and psychological reports for Kurariki's next appearance in March.
He ordered Kurariki not to enter licensed premises except supermarkets, not to consume or possess alcohol or illegal drugs, and gave him a curfew which requires him to be at his Otara home from 7pm until 7am.
He wished Kurariki good luck.
Outside court, Kurariki's defence counsel Mr Sutton prevented Kurariki's mother from speaking to the Herald, saying: "No - they're not speaking to you, okay?" then declined to comment himself. Later, when Kurariki was released on bail, Kurariki and a supporter made threats towards a Herald photographer.
Michael Choy's mother, Rita Croskery, was not available last night but she has repeatedly said she did not believe Kurariki would change.
