Michael Murray denied early release from prison over the murder of Connor Morris during a street fight in West Auckland

Murray killed Morris in August 2014 with a sickle he took from his home after a street fight that broke out on the road near his home. Morris’s partner Millie Elder-Holmes was also there at the time of his death.

Murray was found guilty by a jury in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of ten years. He appealed the conviction, with his lawyer arguing that media interest in Morris’ death led to an unfair trial because his partner was the daughter of the late broadcaster Paul Holmes.

During Murray’s first parole hearing, his attorney, Jasper Rhodes, described his client as “almost there” in terms of being ready for release.

“Our main conclusion is that he is almost there and he has known for some time that he is someone who is fully compliant in the right circumstances and in the right circumstances and is unlikely to pose a risk to anyone.”

“He fully appreciates that it is all well and good while he remains in a facility and the real test will come if and when he is released back into the community.”

Rhodes told the board that Murray had done a lot of work behind bars and had matured considerably in ten years.

“He’s not pretending the job is done, but it will be a lifelong journey for him to continue to tackle these cases,” he said.

“He is almost there and he is not someone who will need years of further treatment.”

The board disagreed and expressed concerns about the choices Murray had made over the past year.

However, the board also specifically omitted what those choices were, as well as the discussion it had about those choices during Murray’s hearing, which took up most of the hearing.

What it didn’t quell were the questions about the night itself and how Murray ended up with a sickle in hand.

On the night of August 3, 2014, a fight broke out between two unrelated groups on Don Buck Rd in Massey, Auckland.

Morris, 27, and some of his friends and family were at a housewarming, but just before midnight they started running out of drink mixers. Several of his friends decided to walk to some nearby stores to get more, but ended up in an altercation with three men at the top of a nearby driveway.

After being informed of what had happened, Morris ran towards the fighting as Elder-Holmes followed him, trying to stop him from getting involved.

Although Murray admitted to killing Morris, he denied it was murder, claiming he was acting in defense of his little brother who allegedly attacked Morris.

Murray told the board that the situation “broke out very quickly” and he saw many people coming down the road towards his house and he saw many of his cousins ​​“wiped out” in the fighting that ensued.

“I thought I’d go get something to possibly scare them out of my house,” Murray said.

“I thought if I waved it (the sickle) it might scare them off.”

Murray told the board that the blow that killed Morris was a spontaneous decision he made without thinking, but they wondered how it could have been on impulse if he had deliberately armed himself before it happened.

“I haven’t thought that far,” he said.

“What was spontaneous was the action to save my little brother.”

Sir Ron Young, chairman of the Parole Board, said there was no point in trying to stop a major fight by brandishing a gun.

“What did you think would happen if you hit someone with a sickle?” Mr. Ron asked.

Murray said he tried to cut Morris’ leg with the gun’s blade and at the last moment Morris shot up, meaning he was hit in the head instead. Murray demonstrated this move several times at the board.

Sir Ron wondered if this was a rationale Murray had come up with to justify the murder.

“I wonder if you’ve reconstructed it a little bit to make you look a little less responsible,” he said.

“No, I am fully responsible for what I did,” Murray replied.

“I don’t try to justify my actions, I know what I did was bad.

“I shouldn’t have taken a sickle at all.”

While Murray has completed some work with a psychologist behind bars, Sir Ron said he still had much more to do and questioned the claim he was “almost there” in terms of being ready for release.

“I have undergone all the treatments they have offered me so far,” Murray said in response.

Much of the hearing focused on the choices Murray had made over the years behind bars, with one board member noting that it seemed like he had some expectations about how the hearing would go, only to be heavily questioned about these choices .

“I came in a little excited, thinking we could work some things out in six months,” Murray said.

“In a way, I told myself that the longest time is over, but there is still work to be done to make progress in the future.

“I need more treatment… Whether that is rehabilitation and reintegration… I need it.”

Murray was also questioned about where he thought Morris’ family was now, and how they might feel about the loss of their loved one.

“It still hurts… if it happened to me, I don’t think I could ever forgive anyone.”

Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals. He has been a journalist for almost ten years and has worked for NZME since 2022.