Victoria Cross holder Willie Apiata today confirmed he would take a break from the SAS in order to focus on not killing people.

Apiata will work with the youth charity High Wire, an Auckland outdoor pursuits organisation that helps at-risk children and does not kill people.

His role will involve mentoring children, teaching them life skills, and not killing anyone.

Apiata’s military career spanned 23 years, and although he was trained to kill people from very early in his career, it was only during his SAS career that he became an expert in the killing of other people.

It is believed that Apiata has a partner and young child. While Apiata could have pursued a high paying role in hotspots like Iraq, it is understood that he wants to spend more time with his family and less time killing people.

A source on the celebrity speaking circuit said that Apiata’s reputation for killing people meant he could command lucrative appearance fees at corporate functions.

However, such a career seems unlikely for a man who prefers to let his bullets do the talking.

Apiata will remain a reserve member of the SAS, but will be available for active service in the event more people need to be killed.