Lipine Sila, convicted of murdering two Christchurch teenagers by driving into a crowd outside a party in 2007, remains in prison following his involvement in a violent assault within the correctional facility last year.

Sila, now 41, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years for the deaths of 16-year-olds Hannah Rossiter and Jane Young. The two were leaving a birthday party on Edgeware Road when Sila, then aged 23, deliberately drove his girlfriend’s Honda into the group following an earlier altercation, killing Rossiter and Young and seriously injuring eight others.

During a parole board hearing on May 26, Sila faced scrutiny over a group assault on another inmate that occurred in August 2025. The board was informed that Sila actively participated in the attack, jumping over a gate and delivering multiple “king hits” before pepper spray was deployed to subdue the situation. Sila admitted that, despite having completed approximately 50 one-on-one sessions with a psychologist focused on addressing violent behaviour, he had not applied the anger-management strategies he had learned during the incident, instead reacting reflexively after seeing a fellow prisoner assaulted.

The parole report detailed Sila’s recognition that disagreements could trigger his anger but noted his failure to consciously apply learned coping mechanisms during the prison assault. The board described the incident as "of significant concern."

While Sila’s behaviour had reportedly improved since early 2025, including a reclassification from high to low-medium security, the hearing heard he had accrued multiple prison misconducts, including possession of unauthorized clothing and sparring with other inmates. Overall, he has accumulated roughly 30 misconducts over his 17 years of incarceration and did minimal rehabilitation work until more recently. Due to cognitive difficulties, Sila was deemed unsuitable for a specialist violence programme and instead engaged in individual psychological sessions.

A current psychological assessment categorizes Sila as posing a medium risk of violent reoffending. The board emphasized the need for a robust safety plan to help him identify and manage triggers for violence. If granted parole, Sila would be deported to Samoa, where he anticipates living with family in his home village. However, the parole board expressed concern over limited community support in Samoa and stressed the importance of establishing professional and familial support networks before release.

The board acknowledged Sila’s progress but concluded that he continues to present an undue risk to the community. It instructed him to further develop his safety plan, involve family members in reintegration efforts, and return for a subsequent hearing scheduled for November 2026.

At his initial parole hearing in May 2024, Sila maintained that he had “no intention to hurt anybody” in the 2007 Edgeware Road incident and claimed to have tried to steer away from the crowd. It was also noted that earlier that year, he assaulted a prison officer after becoming angry about being unable to speak with a senior Corrections official.