Sad chain of errors combine in tragedy

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 has 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 on to the deck.

Within seconds Chand dealt six deadly blows to Christie’s upper body. She died in her mother’s arms. Thirty-three days earlier, in October, 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 of that year.

Christie Marceau’s inquest began with Coroner Katharine Greig giving her condolences to the teenager’s parents.

It ended with her 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 and failings which, when added up, together spelled the end to Christie’s life.

It was a series of poor decisions and judgment calls which, when detailed from the witness stand, felt like a crash in slow motion.

But surprisingly, nobody who was involved in the bail process could find much fault in themselves.

Each day, witnesses ducked any responsibility for their part in doing the Chand being freed.

Increasingly it was implied the blame lay with Judge McNaughton – the only one involved who did not turn up to give evidence.

Some days it seemed less like an inquest and more like a trial.

But as a judge, McNaughton was not only exempt from giving evidence, there is a strong judicial principle that a judge should not land themselves in a witness stand to have to defend their decisions.

Events proved Judge McNaughton’s bail call to be headshakingly wrong but to lay the blame at his feet alone would be foolish.

There were many others involved, playing their part in the bail process, and multiple times they 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 fact some who played a part in that process still can’t see their own failings six years on is disappointing, and delusional.

The inquest was never there to find blame, but to try to 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.