3.45pm
Tauatama Fred Lauina tried to kill his two sisters-in- law - one of them 34 weeks pregnant - by smashing their skulls with a hammer.
In a fit of remorse he later plunged a 20cm knife into his own chest, the tip of the blade penetrating his heart.
All three were expected to die and the child, which had to be delivered by caesarean section, was also close to death.
But all survived and Lauina, aged 40, is now serving 11 years for the attack after pleading guilty to two charges of attempted murder.
Passing sentence at the High Court in Auckland, Justice Hugh Williams said that it appeared that Lauina's wife left him in February and may have been in the process of bringing their marriage to an end.
Luaina was left to look after their two children, aged 11 and 10.
The judge said that Lauina took the children to school as normal on March 12, but unbeknown to him his wife and her two sisters took them out of school.
The following day he questioned his sisters-in-law about the whereabouts of his wife and children.
In his "agitated" state, he then started beating both women repeatedly about the head and face with the hammer.
The judge accepted a submission from defence counsel, Mark Edgar, that the offence was committed in "hot blood" and Lauina was overtaken by the emotion of the moment.
His world was falling to bits, his marriage seemed to be breaking up, and he did not know where his wife and children were.
Justice Williams said that Lauina then left in a car he had previously borrowed from the partner of one of the women.
He set fire to the $24,000 vehicle and phoned the emergency services saying that someone had committed suicide in the car.
In the meantime, Lauina stabbed himself in the chest.
The judge said that medical staff had expected Lauina and the women to die at various times.
The sisters suffered severe injuries. One has brain damage, suffers permanent partial paralysis and cannot walk properly.
"She is very limited now in the way in which she can manage the household and cannot do even simple things like prepare meals or cuddle her children," said the judge.
The baby almost died too. Doctors were hopeful, but not certain that it did not suffer brain damage before being born.
Prosecutor Steve Haszard said the attack on a heavily pregnant woman showed elements of considerable cruelty.
Justice Williams sentenced Lauina to 11 years with a concurrent four-year term for setting fire to the car, which Lauina also admitted. The judge imposed a minimum five-year non-parole period.
Man to serve 11 years for attempting to kill sisters-in-law
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.