A post mortem found the victim suffered a fractured bone in his neck, a split lip from his mouth to his nose, a broken nose and a torn eyelid, as well as extensive bruising on the inner side of both eye sockets, cheeks and throat.
He was found dead in a pool of his own blood on the floor of his lounge the next day.
Blackler had fled the scene but forensic evidence showed he had tried to clean the blood off himself in the bathroom before taking a taxi to his partner’s home.
He made a phone call to her in which he said he might have killed his friend, the jury heard at trial.
Blackler, who has 17 pages of criminal convictions to his name, had 10 months remaining on his sentence, panel convener Mary More said.
He was a minimum-security prisoner at the Otago Corrections Facility and reportedly “engages well with his peers, he works to a high standard and there are no issues”.
However, the Parole Board was unimpressed with his release plan.
Blackler wanted to live with friends, a proposal that was not supported by Corrections.
“It is a small dwelling with numerous adult occupants, the police have concerns and there is arguably limited proximity to amenities and services,” Ms More said.
The board heard Blackler had rejected referrals to supported-accommodation providers.
He was urged to reconsider that stance before his next parole hearing in September.
His sentence expires in January 2024.
