The teenage killer who bludgeoned his mother and two siblings to death during a frenzied attack inside their Albion Park Rail home could be released back into the community after serving almost 23 years behind bars.
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Matthew De Gruchy, now 41, might soon be at liberty after the State Parole Authority (SPA) last week "formed an intention to grant parole".
De Gruchy was sentenced to a maximum 28 years in jail for murdering his mother Jennifer, 41, sister Sarah, 13, and brother Adrian, 15, in their Shearwater Boulevarde home on March 12, 1996.
All three were slaughtered by the then 18-year-old; Jennifer and Sarah in their beds and Adrian in the garage.
Jennifer's head and facial injuries were so severe the coroner required blood-match samples to identify her.
Sarah also sustained significant head and facial injuries. Adrian had 21 wounds to his face and neck, and had been doused in petrol.
De Gruchy arrived at the home the next morning to tearfully 'discover' the bodies.
He maintained his innocence, but a jury thought otherwise.
De Gruchy's sentence expires in June 2024. However, his earliest possible release date was June 21, 2017.
In that year, he was refused parole and ordered to complete additional programs in prison.
At the time, the SPA found he presented an "unacceptable risk to the community and had not participated in the required external leave programs".
A spokeswoman said the SPA had "formed an intention to grant parole" to De Gruchy during a private hearing on Thursday.
"A public review hearing will be scheduled to hear submissions from the State of NSW and registered victims," she said.
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said while the parole determination was outside her jurisdiction, her concern was for the community.
"There's people who still live in that street, who were there when this terrible crime occurred," she said.
"I understand that while he's probably going to get parole, [it's] in his best interests and in the best interests of the community that he should look at maybe not coming back into this particular area."
The MP said his parole conditions needed to be known.
"He was a kid when this happened ... he's never lived outside of jail as an adult," she said.
The state government hasn't ruled out opposing De Gruchy's release.
A spokesman for Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections Anthony Roberts said the Corrective Services commissioner was reviewing the reasons for the SPA's current intention to grant parole and an announcement would be made "as soon as possible".
"NSW has the toughest parole laws in Australia. Under NSW law, community safety is the paramount consideration in assessing whether or not a decision is made to grant parole," he said.