A Moment In Crime: The body in the garden - the murder of Martin Berry

Rena Joyce in the High Court during her trial for murder. Photo / Pool

In December 2020 Rena Joyce stabbed her partner to death in his Christchurch home and dumped his body in a compost heap.

The fatal attack was a tragic climax to a relationship marred by alcoholism and domestic violence.

Joyce was the main aggressor of the harm and abuse and her partner Martin Orme Berry was a man who lived in fear.

It emerged he would walk the streets at night, scared to go home and trying to avoid Joyce's regular wrath.

Over the years he disclosed the abuse by Joyce to family and friends - he was feared for his safety and he wanted to end the relationship but he was too ashamed to ask for help.

On December 29, 2020, the pair argued - according to Joyce - and she took to Berry with a kitchen knife.

She stabbed him repeatedly in the neck and cut his throat.

She dragged his body out of the house, out to the compost heap and covered him with rotting food and leaves.

Martin Berry. Photo / Supplied

For two weeks she stayed at the house, cleaning the scene of the crime and clearing all of Berry's belongings.

She claimed to have been sober for 17 months but relapsed into drinking. Heavily.

Then on January 12, 2021, she turned herself into the police and made a full confession.

Joyce claimed Berry's death was accidental but was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison by Justice Jonathan Eaton in May 2022.

Rena Joyce in the High Court during her trial for murder. Photo / Pool

In this episode of Herald podcast A Moment In Crime, senior journalist Anna Leask delves into the case and explores what happened and why.

Leask reported on the initial homicide investigation and then followed Rena Joyce's case through the courts until she was sentenced in May 2022.

A Moment In Crime is written and hosted by Leask - who has been covering crime and justice for NZME since 2005.

Leask has also reported on most of the major incidents and events in New Zealand during that period including the Christchurch quakes, Pike River mine disaster, March 15 terror attack and the White Island eruption.

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A Moment in Crime is a NZ Herald crime podcast, with new episodes out every month.

"Each month I'll take you inside some of our most infamous incidents, notorious offenders and behind the scenes of high-profile trials and events to show you what's really happening in your backyard," she said.

"Heroes and villains battle for justice to be done, and it seems no matter how horrifying the story, we always want to know more.

"If you want to know more about the cases that have shocked and shaped our nation - from murders and massacres to violent villains and the utterly unbelievable - join me for A Moment In Crime."

In our first episode, we looked back at the Christchurch terror attack - what unfolded on March 15 and how it changed New Zealand.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO EPISODE 1 OF A MOMENT IN CRIME

The podcast has also delved into the death of West Auckland toddler Aisling Symes, the cold case murder of Kayo Matsuzawa, the murder of Feilding farmer Scott Guy, the disappearance of Jim Donnelly at the Glenbrook steel mill, the murders of Grace Millane and the Kahui twins, the killing of Christie Marceau, and double killer Jason Somerville, infamous for the Christchurch House of Horrors.

In 2017, Leask wrote and hosted Chasing Ghosts - a six-part podcast series on the Amber-Lee Cruickshank case.

The South Island toddler disappeared almost 27 years ago from a small town on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

LISTEN TO CHASING GHOSTS HERE

Despite exhaustive and repeated searches, there has never been any sign of the little girl.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Amber-Lee's disappearance, Leask investigated the famous cold case in a bid to generate some answers for the toddler's family.

It was the Herald's first true-crime podcast.

To subscribe to A Moment In Crime visit iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - DO YOU NEED HELP?

If you're in danger now:

• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people.
• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you.
• Don't stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay

Where to go for help or more information:

• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584
• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz