But even the Almighty does not have the power to release 64-year-old Shiloh Rickard from prison — only the Parole Board.
For the second time in six months, the killer refused to front the board and declined to meet his case manager or a psychologist to discuss his stance.
At Rickard’s sentencing in 2008, the High Court at Dunedin heard he had recently separated from his 25-year-old partner, Vicki Jane Telfer, but she agreed he could come over to her house for dinner.
After an argument she asked him to leave the home she shared with her 19-month-old daughter, prompting Rickard to attack her with a small chef’s knife he had brought to the address. When the knife broke, Rickard found another and continued the attack.
The victim’s sister, Lisa, intervened and also sustained injuries.
After initially claiming his ex-partner caused her own injuries to prove her love for him, he eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
Rickard has consistently refused to explain his actions and told Probation in the aftermath he did not think there were any problems in his relationship with Ms Telfer.
He claimed he did not remember the incident and was adamant he did not take a weapon to the house.
The Parole Board heard since being behind bars Rickard, while "well behaved" in recent years, had either refused rehabilitative treatment or rapidly withdrawn from it.
"He said he does not believe in intervention programmes," board chairman Sir Ron Young said.
The board noted the killer — who has "JESUS CHRIST SAID" tattooed on his forehead — had strong religious beliefs.
"He makes frequent references to God and biblical scripture," Sir Ron said.
"He was absolute in his assertion that it was God alone who would dictate his path forward, not his case manager, not Psychological Services or the Parole Board ... He said that he would not deviate from what he believes is the pathway laid out for him by God."
Rickard’s next parole hearing was scheduled for September.
