He acknowledged the courage of all witnesses who gave evidence during Pou's trial, and the work of police detectives and other staff who spent hundreds of hours investigating the crime.
Crawford said Simmonds was a daughter, a mum, niece and friend to so many and her life was tragically cut short.
"While we know [Thursday's] sentencing won't bring her back to her loved ones, we hope it offers them some form of comfort knowing her killer has been held accountable and will live behind bars for at least the next 17 years.
"Our thoughts and hearts go out to all of those affected by Bridget's death and we will continue to provide support to her family in any way we can.
"This was a long and complex investigation and I am grateful for all those who worked so hard to bring about this result and justice for Bridget and her family," Crawford said.
The jury was unanimous in finding Pou had murdered Simmonds, her death coming after a prolonged assault in which Pou delivered more than 100 hard punches in 90 minutes.
Pou's nephew, Te Koha Pou, was found guilty on charges of dishonestly using her bank card and helping his uncle avoid arrest and will be sentenced later this month.
Victim impact statements, recorded on DVD, of Carol Callen and her brother John Callen were played in court during Pou's sentencing.
Carol Callen died on August 9 after suffering a terminal illness.
In her victim impact statement, a frail Carol Callen said her daughter's disappearance caused her severe anxiety, her blood pressure became extremely high, and she went into a deep depression.
"Alone in my home, I cried for weeks and months. It felt like every day my heart was being torn to shreds. Her last words to me were don't forget my headstone. No sentence can ever, ever ease our pain."
She said some details that came out at trial made her leave the court, at least once.
