Joshua Kane Williams, 33, is serving a 27-month jail term — his fifth time behind bars — and accepted at a hearing last month he was not ready for parole.
The prisoner previously gained some notoriety for a satirical online news show called "Newsyland" and later went on to interview local government hopefuls in a series of offbeat clips.
In November 2021, Williams began seeing a man 10 years his junior but his mental state quickly deteriorated with the death of his grandmother.
Williams’ drug use drove a wedge between the couple and the relationship reached an abrupt end when he punched his then boyfriend in the face.
The victim showed the Otago Daily Times anonymous messages with which he was bombarded as he was treated in hospital.
And he even received an automated call purporting to be from search and rescue, claiming Williams was dead.
The ordeal continued in the ensuing months despite a protection order being made in his favour, the court heard at sentencing.
Williams continued to contact his ex and on one occasion deflated the tyre of his vehicle, which was parked outside his workplace.
After Williams was evicted from his flat, he called his landlord, posing as a police officer.
He told the homeowner he was being investigated for illegally entering the house and was so "rude and aggressive" the man contacted police to voice his outrage.
Williams also tried the same trick against his ex-boyfriend but his ex recognised his voice and hung up.
The Parole Board heard that the prisoner had a "significant history" of breaching court orders but Corrections staff said his conduct in jail was improving.
Williams was classed as low/medium-security and said he was motivated to transfer from the Otago Corrections Facility to Rolleston Prison to undertake the medium-intensity rehabilitation programme.
"Mr Williams has significant work to complete before we could be satisfied that his release would not pose an undue risk to the safety of the community," panel convener Neville Trendle said.
Williams will appear before the board again in July.
His sentence expires in June 2025.
