Prisoner released on compassionate grounds dies

A prisoner diagnosed with terminal cancer has died less than a month after being released on compassionate grounds.

The parole board released Henry Temete Hete Matafeo, 23, on July 20, after accepting submissions from his doctors, family and victim that his condition meant he was no threat to the community.

At the time, the board said Matafeo's faced "nothing better than purgatory on earth before his eventual demise".

Matafeo had been sentenced in Manukau District Court in December to five years' jail for his part in an aggravated robbery during which a service station attendant was viciously beaten.

Matafeo, who had been in a public hospital under 24-hour guard, was released into the care of his family at his mother's Papakura home.

Matafeo died last night.

- NZPA