Family of murdered Hawke's Bay man Hugh Mills commemorate 20 years

Sarah Johnson (left) and Rachel Moss plant trees in memory of their late father, Hugh Mills who was murdered in 1999. Photo / Warren Buckland

The first time Rachel Moss went back to Splash Planet, she sat underneath the railway line and cried.

It had been years before she mustered up the courage to go back to the place where her father was murdered. The theme park was a stark reminder of his absence.

Now, two decades on from that fateful day on November 1, and with family and close friends by their side, tears were shed, but so too were the memories of a man whom they say did anything to help others.

"It's not any easier," she says with tears streaming down her face. "You never get over it, it is just something that you learn to deal with."

Family and friends gathered to commemorate 20 years since Hugh Mills was murdered. Photo / Warren Buckland

The family visited Splash Planet on Monday to plant a tree in her father's memory.

In a brown-frame, on the ground rests a photo of Hugh Mills - taken a week before his death, on his 49th birthday.

Beside it, a tealight gently flickered, as three shrubs were planted.

A plaque, mounted on stone from St Peter Chanel Catholic Church, of which he was a parish council chairman, is firmly pressed into the ground.

The nature of Hugh's death - he was beaten to death while patrolling the waterpark - is something the family tries not to dwell on.
His death became the subject of a nationwide public appeal that raised a staggering $110,000 and enabled his family to buy a home.

A memorial planted at Splash Planet in honour of Hugh Mills. Photo / Warren Buckland

"I still feel that he is up there watching down," his widow, Diane says. "When things get a bit tough for me financially, in the past ... something happens and I've been able to get through it, so I always feel that he is up there looking out for us."

The couple had six children. When Hugh died, the oldest was 24, the youngest two; Sarah and Michael were just 11 and eight respectively.

Diane could not be more pleased with the way the children have coped with their father's death and moved forward with their lives.

Murderer on life parole
The Hastings man found guilty of murdering Mills was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 12 years in 2000.

Dennis Ronald Sandilands was released on parole on September 12, 2016, but recalled a very short time later.

Most recently, he was released on life parole on April 1.

He appeared before the Parole Board in March. In their decision, Judge Neil MacLean said the board "is in a position where it is satisfied that the risk to the community would not be undue if he was released now with the appropriate release conditions..."

"In light of the long period in custody and the difficulties that he is inevitably going to face with reintegration, having had no guided release to date, we are requiring that there be an attended monitoring hearing in September 2019, just to review the conditions and check in on progress."

Upon appearing in front of the Parole Board in September for a progress hearing, Sir Ron Young said Sandilands has complied with all of his special conditions and standard conditions of parole.

He will be seen again, on an in-person monitoring hearing by the end of March 2020.