Baby killer jailed

A Turangi father who murdered his baby will spend at least 17 years in jail. Donovan Michael Duff, 42, was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum parole period of 17 years, at the High Court in Rotorua yesterday on one charge of murder relating to the death of his 9-month-old daughter Maija Puhi-Duff from head injuries in Turangi in 2016. He had always maintained his innocence but a jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict at his trial in June. Sentencing Duff, Justice Mathew Downs described the killing as ‘‘the ultimate betrayal of trust’’. ‘‘You murdered a defenceless infant. That you had been a caring father previously does not detract from the enormity of what you did.’’ He also outlined Duff’s extensive criminal history, including a hammer attack on a former partner he described as particularly brutal. ‘‘Regrettably your story is a familiar one,’’ the judge said. ‘‘Too many children in this country die because of violence in the home.’’