NZ man held over Norfolk slaying

Janelle Patton

A Nelson man has been arrested by police hunting the killer of an Australian woman on Norfolk Island almost four years ago.

Australian Federal Police want the 28-year-old extradited to Norfolk Island to face prosecution over the murder of Janelle Patton, 29, in March 2002.

The man was arrested at a house in Stoke yesterday and held last night at the Nelson police station.

He is due to appear in the Nelson District Court this morning for an extradition hearing.

Ms Patton's body was found dumped at Cockpit Waterfall Reserve on Easter Sunday, March 31.

She had been stabbed many times and suffered a fractured skull, broken pelvis and broken ankle.

Her murder was the first reported on the island for 148 years.

Australian police officer Peter Drennan said a recent DNA breakthrough led to the arrest of the Nelson man.

He said the investigation involved fingerprinting more than 1300 people who were on Norfolk Island at the time of the killing and the forensic testing of "numerous" pieces of evidence.

"The AFP conducted a large number of forensic tests during the course of this investigation. However, a recent DNA breakthrough led to the arrest of the man [yesterday] afternoon."

Mr Drennan said the arrested man was in Norfolk Island on a temporary permit at the time of Ms Patton's killing.

He said the arrest was a relief for officers who had worked tirelessly for nearly four years.

"In any investigation that has taken this long and one which is so tragic - the murder of a young woman - to now get to the point where we are able to charge someone, that is very satisfying for us."

He also praised New Zealand police for their co-operation.

Mr Drennan said the man could either consent to or challenge the extradition process to the island, an Australian territory.

"Once this has been completed and if the extradition is approved, the man will be extradited to Norfolk Island to face prosecution in relation to Janelle's murder."

The Patton family, parents Ron and Carol, and Janelle's brother Mark, said "relief, disbelief, gratitude and exhaustion" were some of the mixed emotions they had been feeling "since hearing the good news". Even now, it all seemed "so unreal".

"For nearly four years our family and friends have been trying to come to terms with the fact that Janelle was so suddenly taken from us. For nearly four years, we have travelled a roller-coaster of emotions; we have tried to remain positive whilst at the same time the unanswerable questions regarding what happened to her on Norfolk Island on Easter Sunday 2002 would never be far from our thoughts."

Last night Norfolk Islanders were unaware an arrest had been made.

Greg Magri, a friend of Ms Patton during her stay on the island, said the island's permanent residents would welcome the news.

"That is just unreal ... It's the best news we've had since it happened," he said.

"It will be a big relief. There's only 2000 people living here and we all know each other so it's a relief not just for myself but the whole Norfolk Island community that it's someone from outside."

Islanders had always believed it was likely Ms Patton was murdered by a transient worker. Mr Magri has described Ms Patton as an "infectious" person who became close to the people she liked.

He did not know the identity of the man who was arrested.

The Australian police investigation shifted to New Zealand last year, when two detectives flew to New Plymouth to interview a chef who worked with Ms Patton on Norfolk Island.

During the extensive investigation, the Australian police asked 90 New Zealand tourists, residents and workers on the island at the time of the murder to provide fingerprints.

Police had found 10 usable prints on the plastic covering Ms Patton's body.

The inquiry team also named 16 "persons of interest" but Mr Drennan said the man arrested yesterday was not one of them.

- Additional reporting, NZPA