Calgary man who murdered teen using pickaxe granted day parole: docs

A Calgary man who murdered a teen with a pickaxe more than nine years ago has been granted day parole, News Talk 770 learned Tuesday.

Matt McKay was killed in September 2007. He was hit in the head with the weapon during an altercation in a garage at a house party in Queensland.

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Marko Miljevic was eventually found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for ten years.

He appealed the decision in 2010, believing he should have been found guilty of manslaughter instead.

The case went as far as the Supreme Court of Canada, which quashed the appeal in a split decision in 2011.

According to documents obtained by News Talk 770, Miljevic began his jail time in Alberta, but after fights and other issues, was moved out to the Pacific Region.

He started to improve there and was granted escorted temporary absences in April 2016.

Miljevic also started a relationship with a corrections staff member at the institution.

In a November hearing, the Parole Board of Canada heard Miljevic made several three-way phone calls, including to another prisoner after the April decision, which led investigators to look into the possibility of the relationship.

The panel heard Miljevic has admitted to the relationship and acknowledged it taints his credibility, but he suggested the corrections employee helped change his belief system and offered him support.

The day parole has been granted for a period of six months and hinges on a number of conditions, including counselling, not associating with criminals and abstaining from drugs and alcohol.