Mark Lundy, the man convicted of savagely murdering his wife and daughter in Palmerston North the year before last, will spend 17 years in jail before he can apply for parole.
The term, set by Justice Anthony Ellis in the High Court at Palmerston North yesterday, was one year short of
the longest non-parole period for murder imposed in New Zealand.
Taffy Hotene got 18 years for the rape and killing of Auckland journalist Kylie Jones in October 2000.
Justice Ellis told Lundy yesterday: "You betrayed your obligations as a father."
The crime violated in the "most horrendous way, the security of the family and the obligation that in this case a father has to his partner and their child - and a child of tender years, at that".
"The killing of the daughter was not planned, but occurred because she witnessed the killing of her mother."
Lundy, 43, was convicted by a jury on March 20 of bludgeoning his wife, Christine, and 7-year-old daughter, Amber, to death in the family home on August 29, 2000.
He was sentenced then to automatic life imprisonment.
Crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk yesterday applied for a minimum non-parole period of 23 years.
Lundy's lawyer, Mike Behrens, QC, said a period of not less than 23 years "is supported by neither authority nor logic".
He said Lundy did not accept the convictions and would appeal against them.
Justice Ellis said that when considering the non-parole period, he had to take into account that it was a premeditated attack.
"It was carefully planned and executed ... Many savage and lethal blows were struck to each victim."
Justice Ellis said the starting point for the non-parole period was 10 years - not 13 years, as under the home-invasion law.
Crown and defence sentencing submissions were given in written form to the judge and were not available to the media.
Mr Vanderkolk later refused to comment. Mr Behrens said Lundy's appeal would be on the grounds that the verdict was unreasonable or inconsistent with the evidence.
The appeal must be filed by Wednesday, 28 days after the verdicts.
Mr Behrens said outside the court that Lundy had taken the decision calmly.
He is spending the weekend in Manawatu Prison before being transferred back to Auckland Prison at Paremoremo.
- NZPA
The longest non-parole sentences for murder
18 years: Hotene.
17 years: Lundy.
17 years: Scott Watson, jailed in September 1999 for killing Olivia Hope and Ben Smart.
17 years: Brownie Marsh Mane and Robert Shane Maru, for murdering police witness Christopher Crean in October 1996.
16 years: David Bain, convicted in May 1995 of murdering his parents, two sisters and brother in Dunedin in June 1994.
16 years: Carlos Namana, for stomping policeman Murray Stretch to death in May 1999.
Serial rapists Joseph Thompson and Malcolm Rewa were given longer non-parole periods of at least 25 years and 22 years respectively when they were sentenced to preventive detention.
Mark Lundy, the man convicted of savagely murdering his wife and daughter in Palmerston North the year before last, will spend 17 years in jail before he can apply for parole.
The term, set by Justice Anthony Ellis in the High Court at Palmerston North yesterday, was one year short of
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.