Tot’s violent death earns dad life term

A Turangi father has been jailed for life, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, after inflicting a violent death on his 9-month-old daughter.

Maija Puhi Duff was killed by her father, Donovan (Donny) Michael Duff, who inflicted head injuries similar to a car smash or being kicked in the head by a horse.

Duff, a patched Mongrel Mob member, refused to acknowledge he did anything wrong and claimed he didn’t know how it happened.

Justice Mathew Downs sentenced him yesterday to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

The 42-year-old was found guilty at a trial in the High Court at Rotorua in June of murdering his baby daughter at their home on March 12, 2016.

Maija suffered fatal injuries when she was in the sole care of Duff after he and his then 18-year-old partner, Melina Puhi, argued. Justice Downs said Maija was “plainly loved” and it appeared Duff was a loving father up until the night she died.

Earlier in the day she died, she had spent time with family members and was healthy.

Maija was then taken to her father and left in his sole care. Melina Puhi was elsewhere.

Overnight, Duff inflicted the injuries but — given his claims of not knowing how those injuries were suffered — no one knows how or why.

“Only you know exactly how she died.”

Justice Downs said the injuries would have caused immediate unconsciousness, but Duff chose to do nothing and not get medical care immediately and this was an aggravating factor.

Justice Downs detailed Duff’s significant history of violent offending including being jailed for wounding his former partner with intent by hitting her several times with a hammer, breaking her pelvis.

Maija’s mother was not present in court and the court heard she was too upset to complete a victim impact statement.