Man killed partner in ‘frenzied’ attack

ROTORUA: A Waikato man who killed his partner in a savage beating has been jailed for at least 17 years and the sentencing judge was scathing i of his minimisation of the attack.

James Te Hiko (44) was jailed for life with a 17year minimum nonparole period when he was sentenced in the High Court at Rotorua yesterday.

He had earlier been found guilty of murdering 41yearold Queenie Karaka, known as Nina Thompson, at Atiamuri in April last year, when he beat her with a solid iron pipe.

Justice Murray Gilbert criticised Te Hiko’s witness stand claim he had only hit his partner four or five times, despite a pathologist’s evidence she was struck at least 70 times.

‘‘I have no doubt you significantly downplayed your extraordinarily violent and frenzied attack,’’ he said.

He reminded Te Hiko one blow had been so hard Ms Thompson’s head had rotated on its axis rendering her unconscious within a minute, yet it was not until the next day medical help was sought.

The court was told Te Hiko flew into a rage when he thought Ms Thompson might be involved with another man, lifting her up and punching her into another room. He then grabbed her by the hair, punching her again.

When she went into the toilet Te Hiko stormed after her and lifted her from the seat. In a bedroom, he gave her an uppercut before kicking her in the stomach.

The judge said the jury’s speedy guilty verdict indicated they had not accepted Te Hiko’s claim of being severely drug and alcoholimpaired. — NZN