Taranaki mattress murder: Leigh Beer jailed for life for killing partner Emma Field

WARNING: Some readers may find the details of this story distressing

The grieving parents of a woman murdered by her partner in the most “inhumane and horrific way” have come face to face with the “coward” and asked him “why?”

Kylie and Erin Field sat with a photo of their daughter, 21-year-old Emma Field, and an urn, as they gave emotional statements describing how Leigh Matthew Fredrick Beer, who maintains his innocence, had caused their world to fall apart.

“My baby girl was taken way too soon by someone she loved and trusted,” Kylie told Beer, who sat unmoved in a dock at the High Court in New Plymouth.

“There are so many questions I have that will never be answered,” she said through tears.

“The biggest is - why, why, why?”

Kylie said she had lost not only her daughter but also her best friend, who she described as her “little pocket rocket”. It was her worst nightmare and she felt broken.

“I hate him, he deserves to rot in hell and never get out of jail to hurt anyone else.”

Kylie said it hurt knowing Field was alone when she died.

“I’m her mother and I should have been there to protect her. Instead, that waste of space took her life and we’ll never know why.”

Beer, 33, was found guilty of murder, arson and injuring with intent to injure in a four-week trial earlier this year.

The charges followed the death of his partner Emma Field, whose body was found on the bedroom floor of the couple’s New Plymouth flat following a fire that tore through the property on May 27, 2022.

Beer has a history of violence, including against a vulnerable family member, damaging property and losing his temper when drinking.

Emma Field's body was found after a fire ripped through her New Plymouth flat in 2022.

Today, he returned to court for sentencing before Justice Karen Grau and a public gallery packed with Field’s family and friends, Beer’s supporters and police officers who worked on the case.

Through his victim impact statement, Erin also asked Beer “why” but then said he would never get a truthful answer, stating Beer was nothing but a coward and a liar.

“You have taken the most precious possession I have ever had,” Erin said.

Both Kylie and Erin spoke about how following the fire they had taken Beer into their home and fed and clothed him, believing at the time that he had tried to save their daughter.

She said Beer had taken Field’s possessions and the koha her family was gifted following her death. Erin also attended Beer’s interviews with police as his support person.

It was not until police laid charges against him that they found out he was responsible.

“I feel like an idiot for being suckered into his lies,” Kylie said.

Erin said Beer “had the audacity to play the victim”, recalling that he had carried around a photo of Field and cried “crocodile tears”.

He described Beer as “scum” and said she had died in the most “inhumane and horrific way” possible.

“You just stood there as my Emma burned.

“I will never forgive or forget what you did to Emma or my family.”

A ‘numbed soul’

Crown prosecutor Cherie Clarke said it was a cruel, callous and depraved murder.

She described Beer’s offending and behaviour in the weeks that followed as being committed by someone with a “numbed soul”.

But defence lawyer Julian Hannam said Beer maintained his innocence.

“Therefore it is logical that there is no remorse for those charges which he faced in court,” Hannam said.

“What he does maintain is that he is grieving the loss of his much-loved partner.”

The Crown and defence agreed on the aggravating factors of the case and that a minimum period of imprisonment of 19 years should be imposed.

Justice Grau said the harm Beer had caused Field’s family was immense, and his actions also harmed his own family.

The greatest harm, however, was to Field, who was robbed of her life.

Beer had betrayed Field’s trust in the most significant way imaginable and then abused the trust of her parents afterward.

While the murder was not planned or premeditated, Justice Grau said there was an element of determination in what he did.

Field was particularly vulnerable at the time, given she was unconscious and trapped under the mattress.

“She was helpless. Mr Beer you could have saved her but instead you left her to die.”

The burnt-out remains of the Devon St West villa in New Plymouth, where Emma Field was murdered. Photo / Police

Justice Grau was not able to apply credit for mitigating factors, noting Beer had not taken responsibility for the murder and therefore was not remorseful, and had previous convictions for family violence.

Referring to letters tendered to the court in support of Beer, she said while he may possess good qualities, there was also a very dark side to him.

Justice Grau took into account the arson and injuring with intent to injure charges, before sentencing him to life imprisonment with a minimum period of 17 years behind bars on the murder charge.

She acknowledged Field’s family, noting it was clear she was a much-loved and loving family member.

“[She was] a bright young soul who lit up the lives of everyone around her. Your pain, your anger, and your hurt have been heartbreaking to hear.”

The fatal fire

On the night of the fire, Beer and Field had friends over and they listened to music, drank alcohol and shared an ecstasy pill.

They planned to head into town together but that never eventuated. Instead, Field went to bed after being subjected to disrespectful comments about her appearance by Beer in front of their friends.

He then, “out of the blue”, punched a glass window, causing blood to splatter throughout his doorway and his friends to leave for town without him.

Beer’s anger intensified after he was ditched, so he returned to their basement flat, in a divided villa on Devon St West, and took it out on Field.

He flipped the bed she was sleeping on and then set fire to it, leaving her to burn to death.

An investigation determined the fire began at the foot of the bed and was started by a naked flame. A cigarette lighter was found on Beer and a butane lighter at the scene had his blood on it.

Field was alive but likely unconscious when the blaze took hold.

A post-mortem examination determined she was still breathing after the fire started, and her cause of death was the effects of incineration.

After the fire started, Beer waited outside for it to grow, neglecting to phone 111, pull the fire alarm, get a fire extinguisher or change his mind and save Field.

He then began a charade to save Field by hosing the flames, but did not make any real effort and resisted other people’s help.

The injuring with intent to injure charge related to a bystander who took the hose from Beer to assist, leading Beer to assault the man, which Beer claimed was in self-defence.

Beer has maintained he was not responsible for lighting the fire or killing Field, who was referred to as his “soulmate” at trial.

He was previously convicted and jailed on two charges of wounding with intent to injure and one each of assaulting a child, assaulting police and wilful damage stemming from offending in 2012 and 2013.

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.