Applause broke out in the court when the sentence was read as survivors and relatives of those killed celebrated the decision.
"The defendant does not deserve any sympathy," the judge said. "And for that reason, the court imposes the maximum sentence it can impose under the law."
He then told deputies: "Get the defendant out of my courtroom, please."
Now, if I may say, if Holmes had committed his awful crime in New Zealand he probably would have got "life" in jail, but could have been out after 17 years.
And if you think I'm exaggerating then take a recent case here that had me cradling my head in my hands rocking it from side to side.
It is the case of a young Christchurch guy, aged 21, who was told a couple of men were breaking into his work van and went out to stop the culprits.
He and a mate caught the guys in the act and - as any sensible person would do - made sure they were not going to be hurt and so laid into them, knocking one unconscious.
Both thieves were taken to hospital.
In America, the likelihood is that the two about-to-be theft victims would have been congratulated by the police for stopping a crime and not being killed in doing so.
In New Zealand, they were charged with assault, pleaded guilty and had to pay the would-be thieves $600 in compensation for emotional harm.
Says it all really.
This city has lost a major talent and it doesn't even know it.
The figurehead of the arts in Tauranga, Tracey Ruddock-Gudsell, has said "bye-bye" after 11 years of hard yakka and her loss will be a major one.
Tracey was, in my and many others' opinion, the driving force of community arts here and during her time at Creative Tauranga took arts from being just a four-letter word to some and changed it into Exciting. With a capital E.
Intelligent, bubbly, blonde and bursting with ideas and energy, Tracey refused to be beaten by nay-sayers and produced astounding events on a shoestring budget.
But this didn't stop the philistines and niggards whingeing about what they saw as a waste of ratepayer dollars.
Trouble for them was, for most of its existence, less than half of Creative Tauranga's budget was from public coffers.
Perhaps Tracey's greatest moment was when the Hairy McLary bronze statues finally made their appearance on Tauranga's city waterfront.
It was seven years of persistence from her that resulted in the stunning works that will be a major tourist attraction for this city.
Heard of Mannekin Pis anybody?
I have visited Hairy and Friends several times since they were installed and each time the place has been lively with children and adults touching, feeling and riding on the wonderful works.
This is what art is about - not traipsing through sterile halls sagely nodding at a splotch of paint that may, or may not, be either interesting or good.
Farewell, Tracey. You fought the good fight.
Best of luck in your new career.
-richard@richardmoore.com
Richard Moore is an award-winning Western Bay journalist and photographer.
