Paedophile, murderer, and escapee Phillip John Smith has been denied parole because of the high risk he will re-offend.

The 43-year-old is serving a life sentence for murdering a man in 1995, who was the father of a boy Smith had indecently assaulted over a period of years.

While in prison he committed fraud between 2006 and 2010 and escaped from custody in 2014.

In a reserved decision released today, the Parole Board said a Psychological Assessment Report from last month rates Smith's overall risk as high - for sexual, violent and general re-offending.

It said as in all cases the paramount consideration is the safety of the community, and Smith remains a high priority for psychological services.