Parole for Karla Cardno's killer 'out of the question'

A 1990 picture of Paul Dally. Photo / File

The killer of Lower Hutt schoolgirl Karla Cardno is still "a long way off being eligible for release", the Parole Board says.

Paul Joseph Dally, 52, who has spent almost 24 years in jail for the 1989 murder of the 13-year-old, was denied parole last week.

The board released its full decision today.

It said Dally was still a long way off being eligible for parole and it was "out of the question" at present.

"Mr Dally remains a high risk offender and poses an undue risk to the safety of the community. Parole is declined and he will be seen again within the statutory cycle."

The board referred to a previous decision which described Dally as having a "potentially sinister combination of psychopathy and possible sadistic sexual practices".

"Mr Dally must receive assessment and treatment in the form of the TePiriti Child Sex Offenders Program."

Dally claimed to be "motivated" to attend and complete the programme.

"Time will tell whether such motivation is genuine," the decision said.

Karla's stepfather, Mark Middleton, said last week it was a "farce" that Dally was entitled to parole applications year after year.

"All of the hundreds of thousands of decent Kiwi people out there ... I haven't come across anybody who wants [Dally] in their neighbourhood. The man's too dangerous," he told RadioLive.

Dally was sentenced to life in prison in 1990 after snatching Karla from her bike as she rode home from the local shops, dragged her to his house and repeatedly raped and tortured her for 22 hours.

He later put her naked, bound and gagged in the boot of his car and buried her alive in a shallow grave at Pencarrow Head.

Middleton was convicted in 1999 for threatening to kill Dally if he was freed from prison.