Cop killer up for writing award
A man serving time behind bars for murdering a police officer has been nominated for a top media award.
In 2002 Daniel Luff, who was 17 at the time, shot Detective Constable Duncan Taylor in the head and chest at close range on a rural Manawatu property.
Luff was in a stand-off with police at the home of an exgirlfriend when the shooting occurred. He was sentenced to a 17-year minimum non-parole period for the murder of Taylor and the attempted murder of detective Jeanette Park.
While incarcerated, Luff has focused on educating himself by finishing off his secondary school qualifications, earning a BA with honours in psychology from Massey University, and is currently working on a PhD focused on offender rehabilitation.
In December last year, a firstperson essay by Luff was published by North & South magazine about his time in Auckland’s Paremoremo Prison.
The essay was submitted to the Voyager Media Awards by the magazine’s editor Virginia Larson, and resulted in Luff being announced last week as a finalist in the first-person essay category.
Luff responded to the news on his Facebook page, which is run by a supporter, by saying it was ‘‘absolutely surreal’’ to be nominated.
‘‘I hope to demonstrate, through my work, that I am sorry for what I have done and am working to ensure I never offend again,’’ he said.
‘‘For me, it’s yet more evidence of what can be achieved when a person embarks on a challenging pathway and others help them along it.’’
North & South editor Virginia Larson told Stuff a lot of consideration was given before publishing Luff’s piece.
That included Larson making efforts to try to inform Luff’s victims that the story, entitled A
View From Inside, would be published. ‘‘[We] were mindful at the heart of his story is a personal tragedy and a heinous crime,’’ she said.
‘‘We felt as soon as we read it, it was rare insight inside the system.
‘‘It was an unusual piece to run but I thought it really added to the debate.’’
No payment was made to Luff for the article.
Larson will represent Luff, and North & South, at next month’s awards.
Awards director Jane Phare told Stuff due to the number of entries, she was not aware a prisoner had been nominated.
There was no monetary prize associated with Luff’s category, with the winner being awarded a certificate, she said.
In 2016, Duncan Taylor’s wife Melanie Taylor said she felt no resentment towards Luff. ‘‘To hear that he has made choices [to study] and is putting that effort in is a good thing,’’ she said at the time. Luff will appear in front of the Parole Board in August.
‘‘I hope to demonstrate, through my work, that I am sorry for what I have done.’’
Daniel Luff