A Northland man who spent seven years in prison for a crime he did not commit has been spared further time inside for hiding the body of a woman he wrongly confessed to killing.
Lawrence Lloyd, 54, appeared in the High Court at Auckland yesterday for sentencing on a charge he admitted of improperly offering an indignity to the dead body of Katherine Sheffield.
Justice Geoffrey Venning sentenced Lloyd to 12 months imprisonment for the offence but allowed it to start from the time he had begun his 11-year jail term for the manslaughter of the 23-year-old woman.
Lloyd had buried her body on his Mangonui property in 1994 after waking up from a night of drinking and cannabis consumption to find her stabbed to death. He had no memory of the night because he was knocked unconscious when Ms Sheffield hit him on the head with a club during an argument.
His nephew, Noel Clement Rogers, has since been accused of murdering Ms Sheffield, and raping her eight months earlier.
In 1994, Lloyd signed statements taken during a police interview confessing to the crime and was found guilty of manslaughter, spending seven years in prison before the conviction was quashed.
Justice Venning said he regarded the concealment of Ms Sheffield's body as a serious offence.
"It had a serious effect on a number of people and showed a callousness or at least thoughtlessness for the deceased and the family, particularly her mother and sister."
Justice Venning said Lloyd had denied them the opportunity to see and farewell Ms Sheffield because the body had started decomposing after three weeks in the ground.
Justice Venning noted an "irony" that, had Lloyd not hidden the body, a proper investigation might have eliminated him from the inquiry.
Lloyd said after the sentencing he had feared he might go back to prison.
"I thought he was sending me away for another holiday."
He told the Weekend Herald he was not ruling out seeking compensation for his seven years inside, but thought it inappropriate to discuss money. "It won't bring Kathy back."
He had made his peace with Ms Sheffield's family, he said.
Chain of events
* Lawrence Lloyd buried the body of Katherine Sheffield on his Mangonui property in 1994 after waking up to find her stabbed to death.
* Lloyd confessed to the crime and was found guilty of manslaughter, spending seven years in jail before the conviction was quashed.
* His nephew, Noel Clement Rogers, faces trial accused of murdering Ms Sheffield, and raping her eight months earlier.
Lloyd spared jail for hiding body
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