Longest non-parole periods in New Zealand history

* Feb 13, 2003 - William Bell, 25, jailed for a minimum non-parole period of 33 years for killing three people at the Mt Wellington-Panmure Returned Services Association on December 8, 2001.

* Dec 2002 - Bruce Thomas Howse, 40, 28 years non-parole on his life sentence for the murders of his stepdaughters Saliel Aplin and Olympia Jetson in their Masterton sleepout on December 4, 2001.

* Aug 1995 - Joseph Stephenson Thompson, 37, the south Auckland serial rapist, 25 years non-parole for the rape and sexual assault of women and girls over a 12-year period.

* July 1998 - Malcolm Rewa, non parole period of 22 years on his preventive detention sentence a series of sex offences between 1987 and 1995. Rewa pleaded guilty to raping six women, but a jury later found guilty of raping 13 others.

* Aug 2002 - Mark Lundy, killed wife Christine and seven-year-old daughter Amber in August 2000, received 20 years non-parole on his life sentence;

* Oct 2000 - Taffy Hotene, who killed Auckland journalist Kylie Jones, received an 18-year non-parole life sentence for murder, and preventive detention for raping her in October 2000;

* July 2002 - Ese Junior Falealii, 18, sentenced to life, with a non-parole period to 17 years and nine months for the murders pizza bar worker Marcus Doig, 23, and bank teller John Vaughan.

* Nov 2000 - Scott Watson, jailed in September 1999 and later sentenced to a minimum 17 years' jail for the murders of Blenheim friends Olivia Hope and Ben Smart;

* June 2002 - Dartelle Alder, serving 17 years non-parole for the rape and murder of jogger Margaret Lynne Baxter near Flaxmere. Court of Appeal extended the term from 15 years.

* Nov 1997 - Brownie Marsh Mane and Robert Shane Maru, given 17 years non-parole for murdering police witness Christopher Crean, in association with other Black Power gang members, in October 1996;

* June 1995 - David Cullen Bain, serving 16 years non-parole, after being convicted in May 1995 of murdering his parents, two sisters and brother in Dunedin in June 1994. He has always maintained his innocence.

* Nov 2000 - Carlos Namana, serving 16 years non-parole, admitted stomping policeman Murray Stretch to death in May 1999.


SENTENCING CHANGES

New sentencing and parole laws came into force last July.

Among the key changes:

* the minimum non-parole period for the worst murderers increased from 10 to 17 years;

* the worst offenders have to wait up to three years between parole applications instead of automatically applying each year;

* the abolition of automatic release at two thirds of a sentence for serious violent offenders;

* preventive detention available for a wider range of sexual and violent offending.

- NZPA