Girls GUILTY of murdering teacher

Wendy Rowe's past two birthdays have been obliterated by her father's horrendous death.
On November 25 last year she learned he had been slain in his bed - and yesterday she was in the public gallery of the High Court at Rotorua to hear guilty verdicts against the two teenage girls charged with his murder.
The killers are first cousins Courtney Patricia Churchward, 18, and 15-year-old Lori-Lea Waiora Te Wini, whose name suppression was lifted yesterday.
They were 17 and 14 at the time of the murder. Te Wini is now the second youngest female murderer in New Zealand history. The youngest female killer is Renee O'Brien who killed Waitara truck driver Kenneth Pigott in 2002 when she was 14 by bashing him repeatedly with a hammer.
 Ms Rowe's father, retired Opotiki College maths teacher John Rowe, was battered to death by the pair after they broke into his house to look for either drugs or money and valuables to buy drugs.
They bashed him at least 28 times with his walking sticks.
Mr Rowe lived over the fence from Te Wini's family.
Members of Mr Rowe's family cried with relief as guilty verdicts were announced after the jury deliberated for just four-and-a-half hours.
Ms Rowe, who turned 50 yesterday, said she felt "utter relief".
 "My brother and I are satisfied with today's outcome, but we realise those girls are family members, they're daughters, nieces, sisters of people and we feel for their family.
"We've heard some distressing things in the last two weeks and we need to take that away and learn to live with it, process it."
Given the ages of the young girls involved, Ms Rowe said it was "really hard to understand" what happened.
She said her father "would've been disgusted" at the young ages of the girls. Mr Rowe's son, Patrick Rowe, said November 25 was an important date. "It's Wendy's birthday and that's the date that will have even more meaning now."
 

Churchwood and Te Wini will be sentenced on December 18. The Rowe family will be there.
"After sentencing we have to wait for an appeal or possible appeal and then maybe we can start dealing with stuff."
Evidence presented during the trial revealed the teens had gone to Mr Rowe's house heavily disguised with beanies and scarves and attacked the elderly and frail man.
Outside the Rotorua courthouse, many of the girl's family members refused to speak to the media.
However, Te Wini's mother, Waiora Te Wini, told The Daily Post she was finding it difficult to deal with the verdicts.
"I'm at a loss for words," she said. "I just want to get my other children to safety."
One of Te Wini's uncles, who only wanted to be identified as Keith, said the family felt for Mr Rowe's family.
"They have our deepest sympathy and apologies for the actions of our children," he said.
"The whole family is pretty shocked over it all, but I'd like to give my deepest sympathies to the victim's family," he said.
An aunt, who didn't want to be identified, said the entire incident was a tragedy.
"What a waste of lives. They are only kids but they have taken the life of someone. How can we say sorry for that?
"Nothing will bring him back or make his family feel better," she said.
"I feel shame for what they have done.
"We are all going to have to live with it."
One supporter of the girls who didn't want to be named said the girls were feeling "sad" after the verdict.
additional reporting
by Jill Nicholas