Ewen Macdonald may be out for Christmas

Ewen Macdonald will front the Parole Board tomorrow. Photo / File

Children waiting to hear if father will leave jail early

The ex-wife of Ewen Macdonald is preparing her children for the possibility their father could be out of jail for Christmas.

The man found not guilty of murdering his brother-in-law, Feilding farmer Scott Guy, will front the Parole Board tomorrow after being imprisoned for five years for damaging property and killing livestock.

Macdonald's ex-wife, Anna Guy, told the Herald on Sunday the couple's four children weren't particularly excited at the possibility their dad might be released.

The last time they saw him was in April, although they spoke every 10 days on the phone. "It's such strange circumstances. It's difficult and awkward for everyone," she said.

Guy wants her ex-husband to serve his full sentence which would end next April. But if he is to be paroled, she is relieved there will be restrictions on where he can travel. "It's not like he will be moving close by in the same town."

Guy initially heard of the timing of Macdonald's parole by chance. "It's a bit strange. You'd hope someone would keep you in the loop but I found out like everyone else," she said.

In August 2012, Macdonald was jailed for five years for damaging property owned by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Scott and Kylee Guy, and other crimes.

His jailing came shortly after he was found not guilty of Guy's murder. He was gunned down on his Feilding driveway on July 8, 2010.

Last year Anna Guy and the children she had with Macdonald moved to Auckland to start a new life with her partner, Brent Jameson. She has since had a baby to Jameson.

Last month the Herald on Sunday revealed Macdonald was on day leave working on a farm near Christchurch.

Macdonald's father, Kerry, said this week he didn't know whether to be hopeful ahead of his son's latest hearing. "We are always hopeful but we haven't booked our tickets to Brazil yet," he joked.