Tamihere in court for parole breach

Convicted killer David Tamihere has pleaded not guilty to breaching his parole conditions by flying over a crime scene with a television crew.

Tamihere, 58, appeared in Waitakere District Court this morning on the charge after TVNZ's Sunday programme flew him over a historic Coromandel murder scene, a possible breach of his parole conditions.

Tamihere, who was today ordered to reappear in court in May, could be sent back to jail if he is found guilty.

He is also likely to face a Parole Board recall hearing in April over the flight.

TVNZ has said Sunday programme staff didn't realise the flight might be a breach of parole.

It made changes to the show and apologised to both the Parole Board and Corrections.

Tamihere was jailed in 1990 for killing Swedish backpackers Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen. Even after his release in 2010, Tamihere has maintained his innocence.

His parole conditions state he cannot visit the region past Kopu and Whangamata without the written permission of his probation officer.

- NZ Herald staff