Murderer Meninga won't stay with brother Mal

The parents of Sunshine Coast murder victim Cheree Richardson say they are dreading the release of her killer Bevan Meninga.

Meninga, 42, the brother of Queensland Origin coach Mal Meninga, could be out of jail within weeks on conditional parole after 21 years behind bars.

It is understood Meninga was forced to seek alternative lodgings after the Richardson family requested that he did not return to the Sunshine Coast, where he planned to live with his mother.

Mal Meninga opened up his Brisbane home to the convicted killer, but said yesterday his brother would be living with a sponsor outside his household.

"But we'll be there providing support for him, and we'll visit him on a regular basis to ensure that he's happy, he's being looked after, he's cared for," he said.

The rugby league star said it was important the Meninga family supported his brother, who was extremely remorseful for his actions.

Meninga was found guilty of the 1991 murder of then-19-year-old Ms Richardson, who was beaten to death with a tree branch.

Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group general manager Ross Thompson said her family did not want her killer back on the Sunshine Coast.

"It’s where it all happened," Mr Thompson said.

"Now he is about to be out on parole it brings it all back to the family, it makes them feel very insecure, regardless of where he will live.

"This takes them back to the very first days it happened."

Meninga took the state's parole board to the Supreme Court last month to spur on a decision on his parole application, after waiting more than a year.

A decision is yet to be made, pending parole conditions and living arrangements.

On January 29, the board prolonged Meninga's parole application saying he might pose "an unacceptably high level of risk if released from custody at this stage", but invited him to make submissions.

Source: Courier Mail
Author: Chloe Ross, Approving editor: Nick Pearson