Peter John Carroll jailed for 17 years after severely beating a Christchurch man to death

Justice Nicholas Davidson said the murder was a vicious and brutal and he sentenced Peter John Carroll to life imprisonment. Photo / File

Peter John Carroll will spend at least 17 years in prison after severely beating a Christchurch man to death and setting his body on fire.

The 53-year-old was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch today for the murder of Marcus Luke Tucker, 36, whose body was found near Lake Ellesmere, on Anzac Day last year.

A nine-day trial, which began in September, ended with a jury finding Carroll guilty of murder.

During the trial, Carroll said he only meant to intimidate Tucker and did not intend to kill him.

Carroll used a steering wheel lock to hit Tucker a number of times to the head. Carroll and Tucker were both involved in the city's drug scene, and that Tucker had been using fake $100 notes to buy drugs days before his death.

The court was told that when Carroll realised Tucker was dead, he and an associate wrapped the body in carpet, drove out to Lake Ellesmere and set it on fire.

Carroll was arrested six days after Tucker's body was found. The family of Tucker, a father-of-three, read out victim impact statements in court.

Tucker's younger sister Belinda Ross said the murder changed her world forever.
"(Carroll) will never understand the pain (he has) inflicted on me... when I go to sleep at night I still see my brother's face," she said.

Ross said she hoped the ongoing pain and suffering Carroll inflicted on her family, was reflected in his sentence. Justice Nicholas Davidson said the murder was a vicious and brutal, where the assault was pre-meditated.

He sentenced Carroll to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

- NZN