Man who killed Mike Valentine not ready to leave jail - Parole Board

In February 2013, Mike Valentine was killed at his rural Levin property when Stoyan Militch stabbed him in the chest.

One of three men who killed a young father is not ready to leave jail, the Parole Board has decided.

Brayden Windley pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Levin's Mike Valentine in 2013.

Windley, 24, was present when another man stabbed Mr Valentine in the chest.

Having originally faced trial for murder, Windley was last year jailed to five years' prison and became eligible for an early release last week.

But after a hearing in front of the Parole Board, he will remain in jail, at least until next year.

"He has approved accommodation with his family well away from the place of his crime, but clearly, because he is to go to a dependency treatment unit programme this week, he is not ready for release," Judge Mike Behrens QC, said in the parole report, released today to NZME.

Windley has a low security classification in prison and has undertaken a "medium intensity rehabilitation programme", however, in October and March he had two "misconducts".

"Last week he was caught with a cell phone and is facing court.... in respect of that offence," the parole report says.

Windley has also undertaken other prison programmes and works as a jail recycler and sorter.

Last week Mr Valentine's step-father John Timmer-Arends told NZME he and wife Lynda were relieved with the board's decision.

"Lynda said it's so cruel that as a mother she had to re-live this only 15 months after the trial. It's unbelievable. This guy's killed someone and we're talking [parole] 15 months after the trial," Mr Timmer-Arends said.

"It's pretty draining but it was a good result. It's the first time in this whole process that something's gone right."