A woman who helped convicted murderer Nathan Fenton escape arrest said she wanted to spend one more day with the father of her twins who had died shortly before.
The twins' funeral, which Fenton was supposed to have been at, was held on the day he beat Mairina Dunn to death.
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Verna Everitt, 29, appeared in the High Court at Whangarei for sentencing yesterday after having earlier pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder. She had helped Fenton evade capture after he had murdered Miss Dunn.
Justice Tony Randerson said there was no doubt Fenton would not have been on the run for as long as he had - 10 days - if it had not been for Everitt's help.
He said Everitt had first contacted a sister of Fenton the day after the murder and offered to help him hide from police.
Justice Randerson said Everitt had been in a four-year-long relationship with Fenton until about three months before the murder.
She had been beaten by Fenton, putting her in hospital five times with injuries such as a broken jaw and arm and shattered pelvis.
After they separated, Everitt had found out she was pregnant with Fenton's twins, but she miscarried on July 31 last year.
Defence lawyer Dave Sayes said the trauma of the twins' deaths left Everitt psychologically stunted and her actions were tainted by emotion. She might also have been suffering from "battered woman's syndrome". Everitt had tried to kill herself after the twins' death and had expected to die at the hands of Fenton while on the run with him.
"It was her wish to see the father of her just-buried twins one more time," Mr Sayes said.
But Justice Randerson said Everitt had helped Fenton evade the police before the pair was cornered in a caravan at Otamure Bay on September 7.
"Your help meant he was at large for longer than he would have been."
He sentenced her to 18 months in jail but took six months off for her early guilty plea and mitigating factors, meaning she will serve a maximum of 12 months.
• Because prisoners sentenced to less than two years jail may be eligible for parole after serving a third of their sentence, Everitt could be out within days.
