Tokoroa school teacher Lois Dear, who was murdered 18 years ago, will remain behind bars for another two years after the Parole Board declined to release him.
Whetu Te Hiko, who was 23 years old, admitted his genuine remorse. Te Hiko brutally assaulted and suffocated Dear in her new classroom at Strathmore School, killing her after she saw him trying to steal her car and threatening to call the police.
Te Hiko, who admitted to being drunk the night before, panicked and ran towards Dear, grabbing, overpowering her, punching, and kicking her, and eventually suffocating her on the floor of her classroom with her sweatshirt.
An autopsy found her death of asphyxia with blunt force trauma to the head and chest, contributing to her death.
Te Hiko pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2007 with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years.
At his first Parole Board hearing, Te Hiko became emotional and expressed his hatred for his actions and the victim’s submissions.
He apologised to Dear’s family and said he could not change the outcome, feeling rotten in his heart. When asked why he did what he did, Te Hiko claimed he was angry and dealing with “demons” and thought taking drugs and alcohol was the answer.
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