Shadow Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess says it could be time to scrap early release for violent offenders after a man convicted a brutal knife killing was freed after serving just over three years.

Ryan (Tiger) Ball was released in June after doing over a third of his ten-year stretch for butchering Jermaine (Red) Pitcher on Reid Street in 2000.

Prisoners can be released after serving one third of their sentence if they have been on good behaviour, but drug traffickers must serve at least one half of their sentence.

Ball inflicted 19 separate wounds including a fatal blow which pierced Mr. Pitcher's left lung and was thrust so deeply the machete nearly emerged from the front of his chest during the February, 2000 attack near Champions nightclub.

Two accomplices had held the victim during the onslaught.

The victim's family have criticised the early release of Ball and have yet to come to terms with the murder of Mr. Pitcher who would have celebrated his 31st birthday last week if he had lived.

Asked for his reaction, Mr. Burgess said: "I don't know all the facts in this."

But he said unless the facts are explained about the early release from prison then the community would have their mouths wide open in shock that someone responsible for such a vicious attack should be free.

He feared the case could affect confidence in the justice system but if there was a good reason for the release then the community should know.

"I am more than understanding and my sympathies go out to the mother. You can only imagine what she has gone through on his birthday.

"The question the community must ask itself is, 'should people who engage in violent acts do as much time as they would if they were drug trafficking?'"

He said drug traffickers wrecked peoples lives.

"Those people who get caught up in drugs at least get a second chance," said Mr. Burgess.

But those who had been stabbed to death had no reprieve.

"If those who wreck lives through drugs should do 50 percent of their time then clearly someone who does violent crimes should have to do it."

Mr. Burgess said the United Bermuda Party had yet to have an official policy on parole but the whole community needed to look at the issue.