After a prison proposal Dunedin couple Rebecca Lunt and Warihi Wharehinga intend to marry in 10 weeks - jail bars or not.
Wharehinga, 42, was jailed for 18 months yesterday for endangering the life of 18-month-old Iris Kathleen Davidson by failing to supply her with medical care.
Lunt was found guilty of wilfully neglecting Iris, and sentenced to 100 hours' community work and 12 months' supervision.
Wharehinga proposed to Lunt, 23, while she was visiting him in Dunedin prison on December 16 where he was on remand after breaching bail conditions.
"It was romantic, or as romantic as it could get in jail," Ms Lunt said.
Lunt's counsel, Dunedin QC Judith Ablett-Kerr, said yesterday that possibly for the first time in this country criminal liability for neglect of a child had been visited on a non-parent, not acting in loco parentis and who was not a blood relative, when a parent was present in the same house.
Justice Chisholm agreed with Mrs Ablett-Kerr that it was probably unique.
- NZPA
Couple to wed after being found guilty
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