KEY POINTS:
The man Chubb guards seated next to Liam Ashley had robbed and bashed his way into prison truck CAN05.
Unlike Liam, the man was no stranger to jail. He had spent all but three weeks of the past seven years either there or in a psychiatric ward.
The
man, who has name suppression, had previously escaped from custody twice and tried to kill himself many times more.
At 25, he was already a hardened criminal with more than 70 convictions, including the home invasion robbery of an elderly woman that a judge had described as evil. He was high risk, had mental health problems and was known as someone who could "go off"'.
Herald inquiries have found much of the information about the man could have been accessed through the Corrections Department offender management database used for reports on each prisoner.
By contrast, 17-year-old Liam was a troubled boy from the North Shore whose parents had allowed him to be sent to jail as a "tough love" strategy after he stole from his mother.
He and his killer should never have been put together. Corrections Department regulations say youths and adults must be kept apart outside prison "where practicable".
In a 15-minute attack inside the van, the man strangled Liam before trying to break his neck. He gave up only to stomp on him several times.
The attack took place in a compartment of the truck just 2.5m behind the two Chubb guards, whose cab window looked directly into another window on the compartment.
They did not stop. Department regulations allow stopping only in an "emergency".
Chubb, which is contracted by Corrections to transport prisoners in Auckland and Northland, would not comment yesterday, saying it was awaiting the findings of a departmental report due out this month.
Corrections also said there would be no comment before the report.
Details of Liam's last day emerged yesterday in the Auckland District Court when the man pleaded guilty to murdering him.
The morning of Thursday, August 24, began with the pair handcuffed together while being transported from the Auckland Central Remand Prison to appear at the North Shore District Court.
They would have made an odd pair, the man being so much bigger than the short teenager.
When they started talking, it turned out the man's offences were allegedly carried out close to Liam's home, leading him to draw the conclusion that the teenager could give evidence against him.
(The man still faces trial on these charges. The name suppression order put in place yesterday is designed to ensure he gets a fair trial.)
The man's fears were compounded when he later learned from other prisoners that Liam had told them he lived somewhere else, making him believe the teenager was a "nark".
On the return journey late that afternoon, the man, who was handcuffed with his hands at the front, joined the uncuffed Liam and another prisoner in the van's front compartment. Six other prisoners were in separate compartments and another four were picked up at the Waitakere District Court.
On the journey, the man suggested they try to escape and, with Liam, took turns at trying to kick open the emergency hatch in the roof. They failed.
It was becoming dark as they headed along the motorway and the man came up with another plan in which Liam would pretend to have an epileptic fit. When the guards investigated, they would escape. Liam, however, would not take part, his refusal setting the man off.
Striking Liam with his elbow, he began the attack - one so brutal the factual police account was not read to the court out of respect for his family.
It is not yet known what the Chubb guards heard or saw along the way. The Ashley family, who have seen inside the van, said they had been told the window into the compartment, which also contained a small air vent, had "fogged up".
On arrival at the Auckland Central Remand Prison, a Chubb guard opened the door to the van and found Liam slumped on the floor.
The other prisoners, who had only heard banging, now could see the result for themselves.
Indian overstayer Harneet Singh said: "Blood was coming out of eyes, nose, head. There was blood everywhere on the face [and] some coming out of ears, too."
The murderer made no attempt to hide what had happened, boasting about how he had killed the supposed "nark".
"I've done enough damage. You can't save him. I've broken his neck. That's what happens when you mess with me."
The man demanded to have his handcuffs removed, saying his hands were sore.
Efforts were made to revive Liam and he was taken by ambulance to an Auckland hospital, where he was placed on life support.
At 10.45am the next day, his family decided to remove life support and Liam died a short time later.
That same day, the killer was interviewed by a detective and provided "candid and detailed accounts" of what he had done, followed by more admissions on the Sunday.
The man's formal admission of guilt answered one question for the family yesterday.
But they have many more. They want to know why their son was put with the man in the first place.
They want to know why the guards didn't stop the van if they heard banging.
They want to know what they could see through the window from the cab.
They want to know why the guards have been allowed to go back to work before the inquiry is complete.
Outside court yesterday, the killer's lawyer, Tony Bouchier, read out a handwritten letter expressing remorse and sorrow to the Ashley family.
Mr Bouchier said the man had been "fully co-operative from day one" and told the truth.
As Liam's father, Ian, left it was with the small consolation of the way in which his son's killer had told the truth.
Now he hopes the others present that day will do the same.