Members of Ms Manuel's family including her daughter, mother, father and sister spoke to the court before the sentence was given and expressed their deep sense of loss and pain. They said Fungavaka had shown no remorse for his actions and had made it worse by not pleading guilty and making them sit through a trial. Justice John Faire agreed and said Fungavaka had not shown his remorse in any letter to the court or the family.
Evidence during the trial was that Fungavaka was seen striking Ms Manuel with his 1.7 tonne Holden Commodore as she stood on Pukepoto Rd, Kaitaia, then doing a U-turn to run her over a second time as she lay on the road. The Crown said Ms Manuel suffered two major injuries in the two impacts, either of which could have killed her. When she was struck the first time she suffered massive brain injuries and the second time she was driven over her liver was crushed.
The defence said Ms Manuel had stepped out on the road and collided with the vehicle, and then Fungavaka had not seen her body as she lay in the poorly lit street the second time she was hit.
In an emotional address to the court Saffron Bates, Georgina's sister, said Fungavaka preyed on her sister and they had a disastrous relationship.
"When he took my sister's life, he stole a part of who I am."
She said it would had been easier if Fungavaka had pleaded guilty straight away.
"He has shown no remorse. He has taken every step to avoid responsibility of my sister's death."
She described him as sadistic and said you wouldn't even drive over a dog twice.
"She was loyal, loving and caring and a person who had a few imperfections ... but who doesn't."
George Manuel said he missed his daughter's laugh and jokes. Sitting through the trial had been a tormenting process for the family.
Her mother, Marie Manuel, said she cried for her daughter knowing she would never come home again. Talking to Fungavaka, who sat in the dock listening to proceedings being translated, she said: "A decision was made by you and you did murder my daughter and you should get life for what you did."
Justice Faire said Fungavaka had deliberately targeted Ms Manuel and he did not accept he was remorseful for his offending.
Crown prosecutor Bernadette O'Connor said medical, scientific and eyewitness evidence all came together to establish both impacts were deliberate and performed with murderous intent and a high level of "brutality and callousness".
She said an aggravating feature was he was also on bail at the time and the murder happened in the context of a domestic relationship.
Defence lawyer Kahungunu Barron-Afeaki said Fungavaka had expressed remorse in a police interview and he had maintained his position, despite the verdict, that he never saw Ms Manuel. He said there was not a day that went by that Fungavaka did not feel pain or anguish for what had happened. Mr Barron-Afeaki said 10 years was the appropriate term of imprisonment.
