Mother's day out ends in tragedy

Aileen Macdonald will be sadly missed

A drunken fight left a 70-year-old mother unconscious in her home, and, ultimately the 52-year-old daughter yesterday heading for jail, as one of the family called from the public gallery in court: "Love you Sis."

It was the one moment of broken-silence in the gallery as grieving family sat through a Napier High Court hearing lasting more than three hours before Annie Rangi, also known as Ann Savage, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for manslaughter in the death of mother Aileen Macdonald in hospital three days after the fight which happened on the night of December 28 last year.

A great-grandmother, Mrs Macdonald died from injuries received when punched by Rangi in the head, about five times, according to a pathologist, after the daughter raised unresolved issues from the family's past.

Recognising a process in which 28 days is now allowed for possible appeal, the family wasn't commenting on details or the penalty, but a prepared statement was issued by Julia McIntosh, a niece of Aileen Macdonald, who would have turned 71 later this month.

"[The family] would like to acknowledge that it has been a difficult time for everyone, especially as the accused is a family member."

"Although we cannot bring our dearly loved Aileen back, we will always remember her as a much loved, fun and full of life and charismatic member of a large family, and hopefully she can rest in peace and our family can move forward."

Giving evidence during a disputed facts phase of yesterday's hearing, Rangi told how she had come from Rotorua to Napier to give her mother a good day out, after her mother spoke of being lonely. "I wanted her to be happy," Rangi said.

It started with going out for breakfast, and continued with drinks later in the day, the two ending-up in the evening at home at Ms Macdonald's home in Veronica Ave, Napier.

They were alone in the house, and Rangi felt "comfortable" enough to raise unresolved issues of the past and challenged her mother. But she said her mother became angry and sarcastic, and stood-up. "She was telling me she would give me a beating like she used to," Rangi said. "She was egging me on, and she said she could still take me on." She said she had to defend herself and remembered punching her mother twice to the head, helping her onto a couch and leaving her to "sleep it off," before leaving the house.

She said that when she drove back she saw police and an ambulance at the address, "freaked' and fled to Whirinaki and was told in a phone call her mother was being taken to hospital, and wasn't expected to survive.

Rangi's brother, John Mohlmann, was in Australia when he first heard of the events in a text message from sister Ria Anderson , and had to "digest" the news before deciding to contact the defendant who told him she was "shocked" about what happened. She told him how she assaulted their mother, while asking: "Why didn't you protect us? Why didn't you keep us safe?" He told her she had to front up, face the responsibility and go to the police. In a victim impact statement, Ms Anderson told of the "significant impacts" on what had been a dysfunctional family.

A lot had suffered ill-health and she hoped that all of the family could move-on and start the healing process.

Addressing the sentence, Crown prosecutor Steve Manning highlighted a pathologist's report which said there had been approximately five punches.

The Crown sought a starting point of up to eight years for the judge to start calculating the sentence, while defence counsel Russell Fairbrother QC suggested three years and a possible end-result of a non-custodial sentence.

Justice Collins started at seven years, making deductions for the guilty plea made by Rangi in June, her remorse, and previous good character before determining the sentence.