Five members of the Filimoehala family were yesterday jailed for more than 40 years for the "barbaric and unspeakable" death of Angelina Edwards.
But outside the High Court at Auckland yesterday, the dead woman's father, Russell Edwards, said they should have got longer.
"The mother should have got 18 years ... She is going to be out in eight-odd years," he said.
Justice Laurenson told the five they took from Angelina Edwards any shred of human dignity.
"Your behaviour, collectively and individually, was barbaric."
Moana Leslie Filimoehala, aged 39, found guilty on two counts of manslaughter in inflicting blows and failing to get medical help, was jailed for 13 years.
Her husband, Mavae Tangi Filimoehala, 52, was jailed for 10 years, daughter Kalina, 20, eight years, and son Mavae jun, 17, six years.
They had each been found guilty on one count of manslaughter.
Another son, Siope, 18, who was found guilty of causing Angelina Edwards grievous bodily harm, had four years added to an existing three-year sentence he is serving for robbery.
Angelina Edwards, a 25-year-old schizophrenic, went to stay with her relatives in the cramped Mangere house in December 1996.
At first, said Justice Laurenson, she was treated with kindness, but that changed and she became the victim of united animosity.
Evidence was given at the trial that when she was taken to Middlemore Hospital, she was virtually a walking corpse.
Justice Laurenson said that it was one of the very worst cases of manslaughter.
The evidence of the hospital emergency staff, the judge said, was "among the most sobering and compelling evidence" he had ever heard in a criminal trial.
"Unspeakable" was how the judge described the abuse.
He said the mother was primarily responsible for Angelina Edwards, but did nothing to help her until she collapsed. And, despite the father's claims, the judge said he did not believe that he knew nothing of what was happening to the victim.
The judge said that Kalina Filimoehala was the one person who might have been expected to show the woman some compassion - but she did not.
Crown prosecutor Mike Ruffin told the judge that Kalina Filimoehala was totally contemptuous for any feelings of the deceased as a human being.
The judge said that Siope Filimoehala had shown a callous and arrogant attitude towards the victim, but on his behalf he had also shown her compassion.
He said that Mavae jun, who had name suppression lifted yesterday, had behaved like a young thug using gratuitous violence.
'Barbaric' acts earn family 40 years' jail
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.