Parole hearing put off for man convicted of Kerikeri teen Liberty Templeman's murder

Tributes to murdered teenager Liberty Templeman on the Cobham Rd bridge in Kerikeri, near the spot where her body was found in 2008. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A parole hearing for a Kerikeri killer aged just 14 at the time of the murder for which he was convicted has been put off until May next year.

Hermanus Theodorus Kriel was sentenced in the High Court at Whangārei in 2010 to 11 years and six months' prison for the murder of 15-year-old Liberty Templeman, known as Libby.

He was also sentenced to six months for indecent assault with the sentences to be served concurrently.

Kriel, who has served just over a decade in prison, had been due to have his second parole hearing at Rolleston Prison in Christchurch yesterday.

However, because of new information given to the Parole Board this week, the hearing was adjourned to May next year so Kriel, his counsel, and board members have time to review the information.

Liberty Templeman was 15 when she was murdered in Kerikeri in 2008. Photo / supplied

The full details of yesterday's hearing, and the nature of the new information, have yet to be released.

At Kriel's first parole hearing in May this year, board chairman Sir Ron Young said it needed to be made clear if the background to his offending involved a sexual interest.

Libby's parents told the Parole Board they had information showing Kriel had asked their daughter out on a date and had made overtly sexual comments to her.

Kriel denied that so the board asked the Templemans to provide more information.

The previous parole decision noted that Kriel, then aged 26, had completed eight sessions with a psychologist and had a prepared safety plan.

However, the board said he remained an "undue risk" and he could not explain why he reacted the way he did to what was, according to his version of events, a relatively minor incident.

Young said Kriel had provided several different versions of events so it was not entirely clear what had happened.

It seemed likely Kriel had tripped or stumbled and pushed Libby. Kriel claimed Libby was angry and punched him. He then punched her several times. She was knocked out, dragged into the Wairoa Stream, and left to die.

Libby's family moved to Auckland in 2008 but in November she travelled back to Kerikeri for a visit. She was last seen heading towards Kerikeri town centre with Kriel after catching up with old friends.