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Home / New Zealand

Convicted fraudster Vicki Letele dies of cancer following prison release

NZ Herald
15 May, 2017 07:54 PM4 mins to read

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Boxer David Letele talks about Vicki's last moments and what the last few months have meant

Vicki Letele, the woman sick with cancer who fought for compassionate release from prison, has died overnight.

David Letele told the Herald his sister battled to the end but succumbed to the deadly disease surrounded by family.

But even as life was slipping from her she made sure those closest to her were left with a parting message they would always treasure.

"Half an hour before she passed away she managed to say "I love you" to everyone," said an emotional David Letele.

He said his "beautiful" sister waged one of the biggest fights of her life.

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"She was fighting until her last breath."

"She put up one of the strongest fights I have ever seen."

Vicki Letele with her brother Dave. Photo / Supplied
Vicki Letele with her brother Dave. Photo / Supplied

A heartbroken David Letele said his sister's death had caused him immeasurable pain.

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"Vicki Letele, I lost a part of my heart tonight. No words can describe the pain, but no words explain how proud I am to be your brother."

He thanked her for everything and promised to care for her children.

He described his sister as a caring woman who would never be forgotten.

"She was a wonderful person and it shows with the amount of posts and tributes she's getting."

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David Letele thanked everyone who had supported them through the past eight months paying special tribute to Herald journalist Phil Taylor for first writing about Vicki Letele's predicament.

"We want to thank everyone who enabled her to spend the last few months with her family," said Letele.

He said he was re-watching the moment his sister was released from prison, blessed by the large amount of footage taken over the past six months.

Apologising he couldn't do more for his sister, David Letele said he would strive to be a more caring person.

"I want to try my best to be more like you. Anytime I am doing it tough, I will ask myself: what would Vicki do?"

Judith Collins, who was Minister of Corrections when Vicki Letele fought for release, is among those who learned of her death this morning.

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"I am pleased that Corrections and the Parole Board made a compassionate and sensible decision to allow Vicki Letele to spend the final months of her life with her aiga," Collins said.

Friends are describing Letele as an inspiration and always helping others.

"Vicki Letele our modern day Robin Hood, you gave up your freedom to house the less fortunate. Your life was dedicated to helping others, your story has helped shed light on the treatment of prisoners and how people can drastically change their lives around through god," posted Corey Larry Sio.

Terminally ill inmate Vicki Letele post release. Photo / Supplied
Terminally ill inmate Vicki Letele post release. Photo / Supplied

A woman who shared a prison cell with Letele said although they met behind the ugly walls she was a "positive beautiful lady" filled with love and kindness.

Vicki Letele, a former mortgage broker, was convicted last March of 10 charges of dishonestly using a document to enable low-income families to obtain home loans.

She had received a financial benefit from the criminal activity known as "hydraulic mortgage" fraud.

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The 36-year-old was six months into a sentence of three years and two months for 10 offences of mortgage fraud that netted $500,000 when she found out she had terminal stomach cancer.

Vicki Letele was initially given five months to live when she was diagnosed last September.

An initial application for compassionate release was turned down by the parole board after Corrections opposed it, saying she was being adequately cared for in prison.

But after a public campaign by the Letele family, a second application was successful in November.

The former Kiwi Ferns rugby league representative stopped chemotherapy in December replacing treatment with a rigorous health and fitness regime designed by her famous boxing brother.

"It [chemo] was really wrecking me in terms of my quality of life. I wanted to be able to take my kids to the park and play with them but I wasn't able to," Vicki Letele told the Weekend Herald.

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She is survived by her partner Leah and their three children.

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