Oppose parole for Jai Edwards

In October 2003 in Invercargill, Jai Tamaroa Edwards, while on bail for a charge of grevious bodily harm, murdered our boy Tyrone Snowden.and greivously bodily harmed Corey McKay. He was senteced to life imprisonment with  minimum non parole of 10 years. He has been granted a parole board hearing for the first time on October 1st 2013.

He has never showen any remorse and only admitted guilty 3 days into the trial. Ten years is not enough for the life of our beloved family member. New Zealand laws need to be stronger, life should mean life, not 10 years. 

He committed these heinous crimes while on bail for a previous violent crime, that of greivous bodily harm on Andrew Sabiston, of which he was also found guilty.

If his parole bid is successful he will return to live in our community. He has serious deep seated psychological issues and uncontrolled anger. He also has a long history of serious drug and alcohol abuse. It will only be a matter of time before he offends again.

 The time is NOW to make a stance on tougher laws. Lets make this a safer place for us and our families to live. Lets get some justice for our boy Tyrone and the others he has seriously harmed.

Background 
From Southland Times story 10th August 2004 
Jai Tamaroa Edwards took a knife to a party as a weapon to murder or injure, Justice Fogarty said when he sentenced Edwards in the High Court at Invercargill yesterday to life imprisonment for murder. "Instead of pleading guilty to these crimes you pleaded not guilty, saying you were wielding the knife in self defence," Justice Fogarty said. "I am satisfied there is no basis for that argument." On the third day of a jury trial last week, 20-year-old Edwards changed his plea and admitted murdering Tyrone James Snowden and wounding Corey McKay with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The charges related to incidents at a party in Invercargill on October 11. "You walked home, obtained the butcher's knife, returned to the party, walked up to Tyrone and stabbed him with the butcher's knife," Justice Fogarty said. "You killed him." Mr McKay was stabbed when he went to help Mr Snowden. Edwards was also sentenced yesterday in relation to an incident a month before he murdered Mr Snowden. He admitted causing injuries to Andrew David Sabiston on September 14 in circumstances that might have led to Edwards being charged with manslaughter.Justice Fogarty yesterday sentenced Edwards to a non-parole period of 10 years for the murder. Sentences of four years and nine months on the other two charges would be served concurrently.

The public gallery was full of Edwards' and Mr Snowden's supporters, but they remained silent before and during sentencing. Police escorted the Snowden family and friends in and out of a side door at the court room. Crown counsel Mary-Jane Thomas said victim impact statements from Mr Snowden's family and friends stood for themselves. "They speak of the loss of a loved son, brother, grandson and nephew. Nothing that this court can do today can bring back this young man." The family was upset it had taken Edwards so long to enter a guilty plea to the murder, she said. Defence counsel Kevin Phillips said Edwards' response on the morning of the party had been totally inappropriate. However, he suffered humiliation and loss of mana when he came off second best in a fight with Mr Snowden. Edwards began consuming drugs and alcohol at a very young age, Mr Phillips said.

His response at the party was driven by a combination "of all those factors plus the inability of this young man to be able to manage and control anger". He would do anything to turn back the clock, he said. Edwards wanted to address the court but Mr Snowden's family had understandably not allowed it, Mr Phillips said. Justice Fogarty said there were hints in victim impact statements that Edwards had watched the video Killing Zone at some stage before the murder, which showed the most lethal places on the body to stab someone. When he asked Edwards if he had seen it, Edwards replied: "No." Justice Fogarty said Edwards had put Mr Snowden's family under needless stress by denying the murder. "I have no doubt a jury would have convicted you of murder - the most serious crime." In setting the non-parole period, Justice Fogarty said: "Ten years is long enough for you to set about trying to control the violence, trying to control your abuse of alcohol and drugs."