Mass killer no longer teaching

Stephen Anderson with his mother Helen at Inverlochy.

Art school surprised to hear tutor had killed father and five other people.

Mass killer Stephen Anderson is no longer tutoring at an art school.

The Herald on Sunday revealed last weekend that Anderson - who in 1997 gunned down 10 people, killing six of them, including his 60-year-old father Neville - was tutoring at Inverlochy Art School, in central Wellington.

The school's manager, Mark Marriott, was unaware of Anderson's background before he was contacted by the Herald on Sunday, saying he was "seriously shocked".

Marriott would not comment further this week, but Anderson's biography on a page profiling the school's tutors is now missing from Inverlochy's website. Sue Shore - one of the school's jewellery tutors - confirmed Anderson was no longer teaching there. School patron Lady Jeanne Williams said she and the school's trustees were surprised Anderson had been teaching there, but said the group did not hire or fire staff.

She said the "whole affair is very sad ... there are no winners ... "

In February 1997 Anderson went on his deadly rampage at his family's ski lodge in Raurimu, 34km southeast of Taumaranui.

The former dental technician was found not guilty by reason of insanity on six murder and four attempted murder charges. He was then treated as a special patient in a secure hospital unit.

John Crawshaw, director of mental health, said it was an important part of rehabilitation of special patients that they participated in day-to-day release activities.

When making a decision around any leave there is "a careful assessment" of what level of risk the patient might pose at that time to the public and "whether the proposed management and leave plan will address any risk assessed as being present and hence mitigate any risk to the public.

"Before any increase in rehabilitation leave is granted the patient's progress, response to the leave programme, risk assessment and management plan is carefully reviewed."

Almost 18 years on from the shootings which shocked the nation, Anderson was described by Inverlochy Art School as a "patient and talented tutor and artist".

David Van de Wetering - whose father was killed and whose brother was shot and injured by Anderson - said: "He is a man who has shown no remorse."

Anderson has not responded to Herald on Sunday approaches.