Killer admits double murder, six years after wife's honeymoon death

A man who killed his wife six years ago has admitted murdering two men and attempting to murder another.

Rodney Fallowfield appeared in the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday.

The 58-year-old pleaded guilty to murdering Glen Allan Tukaki and Nigel John Robinson following an incident at a property in Phillipstown on October 10.

Fallowfield also admitted of wounding with reckless disregard and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

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RNZ can now reveal Fallowfield was jailed in October 2021 for four years and three months after being found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter after killing his wife Shirley Reedy while on their honeymoon.

He was released on parole in September 2023.

The Parole Board's decision said Fallowfield had been undergoing individual psychological sessions for about three months and his statutory release date was about one year away.

The Board said a relative of Reedy's conveyed to the Board that they had forgiven Fallowfield but they wanted to know why he committed the killing, not just the details of the offending.

The Board said they posed that question to Fallowfield.

"He said there are no words he can say that will alleviate the distress he has caused and it will also haunt him for the rest of his life what he has done. His expressions of regret and apologies are seen as genuine."

He said the sessions with the psychologist had been good for him, and that he had learnt what he could do in the future to be able to "remove himself from any kind of highly stressful situation".

"Mr Fallowfield very much wants to move on with his life if he is able to and after his stay with [withheld] wants to find his own housing and employment."

A Principal Corrections Officer gave him an "excellent report", the Board said.

"In consideration of everything that was heard today Mr Fallowfield will be released on parole," the Board ruled.

"This Board considers he is no longer an undue risk considering the work he has done in the prison, his presentation today, his future planning and the support he will have in the community and the conditions which are to be imposed. It is noted he is considered as low risk of re‑offending."

Fallowfield was subject to several special conditions which would last six months past his sentence date.