KEY POINTS:
A sharp-eyed prison officer was all that prevented convicted murderer Graeme Burton from hiding a knife while he was being treated in Wellington Hospital.
On Friday, Burton pleaded guilty in the Wellington District Court to 11 charges, including the murder of Wainuiomata man Karl Kuchenbecker.
Shortly after killing
Mr Kuchenbecker, Burton was shot and wounded by a police officer, an injury that led to his right leg being amputated.
While he recovered from his operation, he was reported to be heavily sedated and under close supervision. Other security measures included his being permanently handcuffed.
Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon said yesterday that despite those precautions, Burton tried to hide a dinner knife under his bed.
"The staff saw him take the knife and hide it under his mattress. Rather than go and grab him, because there were four of them and you would back yourself to get it off him, they were only wearing cotton uniforms ... you don't take the chance of riling the guy up."
The officers waited for Burton to be taken to the shower before they removed the knife.
The danger Burton posed to his guards was underlined days later when he assaulted an officer while being transported from hospital to Rimutaka Prison.
"He's not a nice person," Mr Hanlon said. "I think it was more he was looking for a way to hurt others than himself ... The staff did an excellent job."
Burton caused no trouble to or from court on Friday, when he made his guilty pleas from behind bars in a special secure room under the District Court building.
He committed his crime spree while paroled from a life sentence for the 1992 murder of Wellington lighting technician Paul Anderson.
Corrections confirmed yesterday that while he was serving that sentence, several allegations of violent behaviour were made against him.
Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews said these were not substantiated.
"Nevertheless, to ensure good management and safety of others, the prisoner was moved."
One of the prisoners Burton is alleged to have attacked was Daniel Fulcher, whose uncle Peter Fulcher was convicted as part of the Mr Asia investigation.
Mr Matthews said Fulcher was seen by a prison doctor and referred to hospital for treatment for an injury to his face but no complaints of assault were made to prison staff.
The Parole Board was informed of "all the relevant allegations" before they decided to grant Burton parole
On Saturday, the Dominion Post reported the contents of police documents telling Burton's probation officer on November 30 that Burton and an associate were threatening Wellington drug dealers and that Burton had threatened to shoot witnesses.
Yesterday, Wellington police crime manager Harry Quinn said he did not know what documents the newspaper was referring to.
National justice spokesman Simon Power said the weekend's revelations and the horrifying details released in court on Friday of how Burton killed Mr Kuchenbecker raised more questions about the granting of parole.
Burton first breached his strict parole conditions on December 5 when he telephoned his probation officer instead of turning up for a weekly meeting.
He failed to either call or appear on December 12 and it was December 19 before Corrections lodged a complaint over his parole breach.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on December 22 and Burton's recall to prison was ordered on December 29.
"The fact that he had parole with that background is a disgraceful set of circumstances," Mr Power said.
"But the knowledge that was available on December 5 essentially means the probation service gave him a two-week head start on police."