Ambulance officer's call changed everything

Jenny Hemmings and her children Meghann (left), Jessica and Gareth told the court how Pauesi Leofa Brown's actions had affected them. Photo / Richard Robinson

It was a normal Thursday afternoon at the Hemmings' Devonport home before 16-year-old Gareth answered the telephone.

Austin Hemmings' son was told by an ambulance officer: "The owner of this phone had just been stabbed and it did not look good".

The officer had picked up the cellphone of the dying Mr Hemmings as he lay in Mills Lane and found a Devonport number listed under "home".

Mr Hemmings lay bleeding in Mills Lane after being fatally stabbed in the chest when he stepped in to help Diane Nonu in September, 2008.

Gareth Hemmings' victim impact statement was read out by Crown prosecutor Aaron Perkins at the High Court in Auckland yesterday where his father's killer, Pauesi Leofa Brown, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 16 years.

Brown had earlier pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Hemmings and assaulting Diane Nonu with a knife.

Gareth described how the phone call, shortly before 6pm on September 15, 2008 had been "bewildering, numbing". He said he still struggled with the fact that his father is dead and sometimes set an extra place for his father at the family dinner table.

Brown sat in the dock, flanked by two security guards and looked into his lap for most of the sentencing and victim impact statements from Mr Hemmings' wife, son, two daughters, two brothers and Ms Nonu.

The family spoke of a loving husband, father and brother who had dedicated his life to his family and his faith.

Jenny Hemmings said her husband kissed her every morning and told her how much he loved her. But after the call from the ambulance officer, Mrs Hemmings knew her husband was dead.

"We turned on the 6pm news to see our dead Daddy covered by a sheet with blood running down the road," Mrs Hemmings said.

She said the loss of her husband to a man who carried a knife in public was "incomprehensible".

"It is hard to believe a person would have such contempt for the gift of life."

The Crown had argued that Mr Hemmings' death had special circumstances and therefore Brown's sentence should be increased.

Mr Perkins said Mr Hemmings was effectively acting as a police officer when he was fatally stabbed and the Crown was concerned that the stabbing could put people off stepping in to help others.

"It seems Mr Hemmings may have saved Ms Nonu's life while paying with his own," Mr Perkins said.

He also downplayed Brown's guilty plea before trial and noted that the case against him was strong.

Brown's lawyer Barry Hart read a letter from his client to the Hemmings family. Brown said he had been beaten as a child and had done some bad things but had recently found God.

"I feel your pain, I hear your crying every night."

But Justice Geoffrey Venning said he was not convinced of Brown's remorse and said Brown still downplayed his actions.

He told Brown that he must take responsibility for his actions.

"Mr Brown, you are a dangerous and violent man."