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Sensible Sentencing Trust want answers over murderer's death in prison

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 15 Apr 2021, 6:04PM
Convicted murderer Venod Skantha died in prison yesterday. (Photo / NZ Herald)
Convicted murderer Venod Skantha died in prison yesterday. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Sensible Sentencing Trust want answers over murderer's death in prison

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 15 Apr 2021, 6:04PM

The Sensible Sentencing Trust is asking Corrections hard questions about the reported death of a prisoner who murdered a Dunedin teen.

It's believed Venod Skantha died behind bars yesterday - the day his appeal was rejected against a 19-year sentence for murdering Amber-Rose Rush in 2018.

Trust co-leader Darroch Ball says Corrections should have systems to prevent such deaths.

"We obviously don't find it acceptable we have this type of situation occurring, but also there's a sense of a need for individuals like this and criminals like this who have committed such heinous crimes to face their justice."

He says their first thoughts need to go to Rush and her family.

"Part of the process Amber-Rose's family was a sense of accountability and justice for the heinous actions he enacted upon their daughter, and this might rob them of that."

Prison director Lyndal Miles says there's no indication his death was suspicious.

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