The victim's partner of 13 years, and the mother of their two children aged seven and 11, was emotional as she read her victim impact statement to the court, saying how a year on she still waited for him to come home every night and had nightmares about what happened to him.
"On the day in question I begged him not to go. He said he would be all right, and that was the last time I saw him alive."
She remembered being told he was going to die.
"He was my best friend and soulmate," the woman said.
She said she and the victim had been good friends with Carter and Cunningham and they often looked after each other's children.
"My children will now never have the opportunity to play games, go camping, have a swing, or icecream with their father. He will not be able to walk his children down the aisle."
Directing her comments to Cunningham, Carter, Crestani and Osborne - who were seated in the dock together - she said they would never understand the heartbreak they had caused her family.
"I trusted these people with my kids. When I think about what they did it makes me sick to my stomach. You showed no remorse - you left him for dead."
"Horrible memories come flooding back to me seeing you all - you stole my whole life.
"The scars will remain forever and (our families) will always suffer. It haunts me every day how you dumped him in the middle of nowhere, with no phone and no way to get help."
The woman said she could not allow her children to see their dad because of how he looked after he had been bashed: "You robbed the children of the opportunity to say goodbye to their dad."
The victim's father told the court he still remembered the phone call he received from his son on July 1.
"He said he had phoned to say goodbye. He said he was 'sick of this shit and would see me on the other side'.
"My future has been stolen. I miss his visits and chats. There is a very large hole that will never be filled," the father said.
Cunningham's lawyer, Philip Hall, said Cunningham's children had to move schools "for obvious reasons" and she had already attempted to make arrangements for her three young children if she was jailed.
He argued that a jail term would rob the children of their mother and father, and he urged mercy be shown with a sentence of home detention.
"She is desperately sorry, and is also sorry the victim's partner wouldn't meet face to face for restorative justice," Hall said.
Carter's lawyer, Tim Fournier, said Carter had accepted a jail sentence because he wanted to save the victim's family and children from harm and discomfort.
He realised his own children were being held hostage due to the actions of their parents.
"He is here not for the obvious reasons of violence but because of cannabis," Mr Fournier said.
Crestani's lawyer, Doug Taffs, said Crestani had been on a restrictive curfew since August and apart from a "slip-up" last Friday, when he had his "last hurrah" with alcohol, he had adhered to his restrictions.
He had offered to pay the victim's family $5000, and expressed deep shame at his involvement.
Judge Jane Farish said she still found it hard to understand how Crestani had become involved.
"Maybe it was misguided loyalties - it was none of his business," Judge Farish said.
Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said if the family did not accept Crestani's cash offer, perhaps it could be donated to a charity, noting that there was an option for a sentence discount because of the payment.
Osborne's lawyer, Michael Vesty, said Osborne had wanted restorative justice but the victim's family had refused.
"Mr Osborne is willing to take responsibility for his part in these terrible events and has genuine remorse," Vesty said.
However, Judge Farish disagreed with the claim of Osborne's remorse.
She had listened to Osborne throughout his trial and "at times he wasn't telling the truth and tried to play down his involvement".
Farish said the victim's family was living a nightmare.
There were still a lot of unanswered questions and she hoped that someone involved would tell the truth once they had been sentenced.
Carter and Cunningham had been growing cannabis with a street value of at least $10,000. The victim was a close associate who had helped them produce the drugs, and their families were close.
The judge said there was a belief the victim had stolen a gun, the cannabis and Carter's truck.
"You (Carter, Osborne and Cunningham) decided to seek vengeance and retribution for what he'd done and hatched a plan to lure the victim to the Stillwater Hotel, confront him and give him a hiding."
Osborne's role was to lure the victim to the hotel and alert Carter and Crestani when they were in the car park.
"Mr Osborne drove him to the pub about 6pm, and by 8pm the victim had been seriously assaulted."
At some stage the victim was taken up the Arnold Valley.
Around 9.40pm he was picked up by someone who knew him, but did not recognise him because the injuries were so significant.
"His face was blown up like a basketball," Judge Farish said. "He was still walking though, but in a fragile state of mind.
"What you all did was redneck retribution and it should be condemned.
"There is also an aspect of the community who condone the behaviour, and it's appalling - everyone should be aggrieved and ashamed."
Judge Farish said Carter was the "prime mover" and had treated the victim with neither pity nor mercy. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, plus six months for the firearms offence.
Crestani's part in the crime had been out of misguided loyalty. He was sentenced to five years' jail and six months on the firearms offence.
Osborne was given credit for being a first offender with no prior convictions, but Judge Farish said there were a number of aggravating features, including a breach of trust.
"The victim was supposed to be a good mate and you were the one responsible for getting him to the pub to be beaten up," the judge said, sentencing Osborne to two years and eight months in prison.
Cunningham was sentenced to 10 months' home detention. She was ordered to reside at a Tayorville address, undertake alcohol and drug assessment, undertake counselling as deemed necessary, take part in a departmental programme and not to possess or consume illegal drugs.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
OR IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE:
• LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633
• NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7)
• KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757
- Greymouth Star
