Son claims murder was preventable
The son of a murder victim believes his father’s death was preventable and that police had made mistakes in the lead-up to the crime.
Kevin Riddle, son of murdered Eltham man Maurice John Riddle, 78, said police were aware of threats made by Colin James Thompson, 69, against his father prior to the fatal shooting in 2018.
He said despite complaints being made to police about Thompson’s behaviour, the killer was allowed to retain his firearms.
‘‘We are very upset that this tragedy could have been prevented,’’ said Riddle, following the sentencing hearing of Thompson in the High Court at New Plymouth on Tuesday, almost a year to the day after the February 6 murder.
‘‘We know mistakes have been made on at least two occasions by members of the police, which should have resulted in Colin’s firearms being taken from him.
‘‘We see this as totally unacceptable, but we want to reiterate we are not on a witch hunt. We just want to ensure changes are made to prevent this from happening again.’’
Riddle wanted any potential internal police investigation into the case to be given high priority.
In an emailed statement on Friday Taranaki Area Commander Inspector Keith Borrell confirmed police were reviewing the incident ‘‘to identify any learnings that can be taken’’.
‘‘This is ongoing and as such we are not in a position to discuss the review further,’’ he said.
However, he did confirm the Independent Police Conduct Authority had been notified of the review.
In response to questions about the officer who dealt with the complaints and whether they were still employed by New Zealand Police, Borrell said he was unable to discuss specific officers involved in the investigation.
As the victim lay dying on his Mountain Rd property, near Eltham, Taranaki, Thompson kicked his dying body and yelled he ‘‘got what he deserved’’, the summary stated.
He died at the scene.
For the act, Thompson was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum parole period of 13 years and two months.
He had admitted the charge of murder at an earlier appearance. The plea followed a delay in court proceedings while Thompson’s mental health was assessed and monitored. Months later he was found fit to plead.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Justice Robert Dobson detailed the history of the men’s tense relationship, which included Thompson making threats to kill Riddle in mid-2017.
It was heard Thompson resented his landlord’s pressure to pay rent on a cottage leased from him for about 20 years.
In a victim impact statement read aloud in court, Riddle spoke about the ongoing tensions between his father and Thompson.
‘‘He said he did not want to face you alone, Colin. He was worried what you might do,’’ he said.