KEY POINTS:
Convicted murderer Graeme Burton allegedly hid a knife under his hospital bed mattress as he was recovering from having his leg amputated.
Burton, 36, last week pleaded guilty to murdering Karl Kuchenbecker, who was riding his quad bike along the Wainuiomata fire break on January 6.
Burton also pleaded guilty to 10 other charges, all of which arose from events on the fire break, including the attempted murder of two mountain bikers and using a firearm against two law enforcement officers.
He was shot and caught by police after he had wounded two more mountain bikers. His right leg was amputated above the knee the next day.
The Sunday News today reported that prison guards saw Burton hiding a dinner knife under his mattress.
"The guards waited for Burton to go for a shower," a prison source told the newspaper.
"When he came back he leaned on a guard then reached under the mattress expecting to find the knife.
"He was not happy."
Four prison guards and two armed police watched Burton, who was handcuffed to a guard 24 hours a day.
Corrections Officers union president Beven Hanlon said the guards handled the knife situation well.
"They didn't panic and did a good job to bring the situation under control," he told the Sunday News.
It also emerged today that Burton attacked a fellow inmate, putting the man in hospital, just months before he was released and went on to kill Mr Kuchenbecker.
The Sunday Star Times reported that Burton's role in the assault was well-known on the prison grapevine but it did not go on his record, or to the Parole Board, because the victim would not lay a complaint.
Corrections Department chief executive Barry Matthews confirmed inmate Daniel Fulcher was treated in the prison hospital for a facial injury.
Other incidents while Burton was in Rimutaka Prison included breaking another inmate's arms in 2002 in a bid to be transferred to Auckland's Paremoremo prison and using standover tactics to try to get another inmate to stab a guard, the newspaper said.
Mr Matthews said standover allegations were not substantiated.
"Nevertheless, to ensure good management and safety of others, the prisoner was moved," he said.
"Prisoners are often shifted for a variety of reasons including allegations of misconduct, changes in security classification, attendance at programmes, preparation for release, etc."
Mr Matthews said the department had informed the Parole Board of "all the relevant allegations".
Burton will be sentenced for Mr Kuchenbecker's murder in April.
- NZPA
