Double-killer who drove into crowd of teenage partygoers will be deported

Author: Ric Stevens,
Publish Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2026, 1:54pm

Lipine Sila in court during his trial nearly 20 years ago. File photo / One News

A man who deliberately drove into a crowd of teenagers almost 20 years ago, killing two, will be deported back to Samoa when he is released from prison.

Lipine Sila, now 41, was jailed in 2008 to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

Sila murdered Hannah Rossiter and Jane Young, both 16, and caused grievous bodily harm to eight other teens when he drove his car through the crowd outside a party in the Christchurch suburb of Edgeware on May 5, 2007.

At his trial, the jury rejected his claim that he did so out of panic or fear for his life after being assaulted by other people, not connected with Rossiter and Young.

Sila first appeared before the Parole Board in 2024.

He appeared before it again last week, when it again declined to release him.

The newly released Parole Board’s decision, however, makes it clear that when he is eventually let out of prison, he will be deported back to Samoa, where he was born.

Hannah Rossiter (left) and Jane Young died when a car driven by Lipine Sila hit them outside an out-of-control party. They were both 16 when they died. Photos / Supplied

Sila has 30 misconducts in prison

Sila has amassed 30 misconduct reports while in prison, the report said.

He was also convicted of two charges of assault in 2010 for incidents that happened in custody.

Before the murders, Sila had convictions for violence against women in 2006 and 2008.

He was not considered suitable for a Special Treatment Unit for Violent Offenders while in jail because of his impaired IQ and probable comprehension issues.

Sila’s lawyer told the board that Sila, however, took full responsibility for his actions and was sorry for them, and his behaviour in prison had improved.

He was now back on a low/medium security classification at the Otago Corrections Facility, to which he was transferred in August 2025.

The board was told that there was a “strong release plan” for Sila, who will be deported to live in his family’s village in Samoa after release.

However, a psychologist’s report indicated that professional community support in the village, about an hour away from Apia, was likely to be limited.

The psychologist recommended looking for more support within Samoa, and a pre-release family hui.

“Mr Sila has done well more recently with his behaviour,” the Parole Board report said.

“He is considered to have completed his psychological treatment.

“However, we are not satisfied regarding his risk at this time. Parole is declined. Risk remains undue.”

Sila will be seen by the board again in November this year.

The board told him to find his safety plan, which he had lost, and continue to review it or develop a new one.

Once a safety plan had been developed with a psychologist, the board said, there should be at least one reintegration meeting with those who will be supporting him in Samoa.

Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of frontline experience as a probation officer.