The jailed man who shot and killed Kelsey Grammer's father is set to be back on the streets in nine months' time.

ARTHUR NILES spent several decades in a psychiatric ward for killing ALLEN GRAMMER - until doctors were convinced his murderous tendencies had subsided. He was declared 'cured' in 1994. But pals fear Niles is still a threat to the FRASIER star and just last month (MAR03) he was sent back to prison after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a judge.

A Grammer family friend tells American tabloid the STAR, "This man is a nightmare and should be kept under lock and key. It's bad enough Kelsey wasn't alerted when he was released nine years ago. The last arrest proves Niles has gotten violent urges again."

Grammer's nightmare began in 1968 when Niles went on a wild rampage in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, and shot and killed magazine publisher Allen, 38, on the lawn of his home.

St Thomas-born Grammer, now 48, was 13 and living in America with his mother SALLY.

Allen was held at a Washington DC hospital until nine years ago. And when a judge issued a restraining order preventing him from seeing his son in November (02), he was slung back into jail after writing to the lawman, "I would have to kill you, your honour."