An inquest: Preventing the preventable

OPINION: It took Akshay Chand less than four minutes to leave his home and be at Christie Marceau’s doorstep on November 7, 2011. But it’s taken six years to unravel the events that allowed him to make that short walk, which ended with him stabbing the teenager to death on the deck of her Auckland home.

For two weeks a parade of psychiatrists, police, court staff and family filed in and out of the witness box at the inquest into Christie’s death, all trying to answer the one question haunting the room.

How was a man who had previously kidnapped and threatened to rape a girl bailed to an address within eye-sight of her house?

On that November day, he pushed past Christie’s mum Tracey, and chased the teenager out onto her deck. Within seconds Chand dealt six deadly blows to Christie’s upper body.

She died in her mother’s arms. Thirty-three days earlier, Chand had been bailed by Judge David McNaughton at the North Shore District Court. Chand had been in custody after he kidnapped and threatened to rape Christie in September that year.

The inquest began with Coroner Katharine Greig giving her condolences to the teen’s parents. It ended with her doing the same. In the two weeks between her heartfelt comments, there was little else to comfort Christie’s parents.

The evidence they sat through painted a picture of little faults

‘‘She died in her mother's arms.’’

and failings which added up to spell the end to Christie’s life.

But, each day, witnesses ducked any responsibility for their part in Chand being freed.

Increasingly it was implied the blame lay with Judge McNaughton. Events proved his bail call to be head-shakingly wrong, but to lay the blame at his feet alone would be foolish. There were many others involved who could have been more effective in stopping this tragedy unfolding.

More information, opposition and time could have been put into making sure Chand was never allowed to be bailed.

The inquest was never there to find blame, but to try and prevent similar things from happening again. Coroner Greig’s findings will hopefully address the complex and convoluted system which allowed Chand to walk.

To learn lessons from Christie’s death and make sure something preventable is prevented. To make sure the same little faults and failings don’t dare to repeat themselves. Because little by little, a little made a lot.

Akshay Chand killed 18-year-old Christie Marceau in her home, while on bail just minutes from her home.