Aunt relieved at life sentences for men who killed NZ tourist

‘A loss like that is never finally put to rest, but that’s as good as it gets, I guess.’ Joy Reid, the aunt of murdered Kiwi tourist Nick Heyward

THE aunt of a Kiwi murdered in Argentina last year says the life sentences handed down to his killers are a relief, but no real compensation.

Argentinian daily newspaper Los Andes reports that judges in Mendoza sentenced Marcos Leiva Soda, 35, and his nephew Adrian Soda, 21, on Wednesday for killing Nick Heyward, 32, in the Andean city.

Heyward’s aunt, Joy Reid, said from her home in Raumati, on the Kapiti Coast, yesterday that she was relieved justice had been done for her ‘‘adventurous’’ nephew.

‘‘A loss like that is never finally put to rest, but that’s as good as it gets, I guess.’’

Rock-climber Heyward was shot dead in front of two friends during a stroll in popular San Martin Park, near the city’s football stadium, on April 29 last year.

Leiva, riding pillion on a motorcycle ridden by Soda, tried to grab Heyward’s backpack. When he could not pull it free and Heyward fell over, Leiva dismounted and shot him four times before the pair sped off, Los Andes reported.

Heyward died almost immediately. The two other tourists, Australian Fiona Darling and Frenchman Pierre D’Amico, gave police descriptions of the bandits.

Leiva and Soda were arrested in June last year and have been in prison since.

In January, police announced they had enough evidence to go to a trial, which began last week.

Los Andes called the crime ‘‘last year’s most resonant police case’’. ‘‘Not only for the violence and malice carried out to rob a camera from a tourist, but also for its repercussions for local tourism.’’

Prosecutor Alejandro Iturbide asked for the maximum sentence, while the men’s lawyers said the charges should be dismissed because of doubts surrounding the evidence against them.

Security camera footage of the area where the attack took place was of little use, but other evidence was damning, the newspaper report said.

First, bullets taken from Heyward’s body were identical to one fired during Soda’s attempted murder of another mana month after Heyward was killed. Also, witnesses told the court they heard Soda boasting of the killing.

Soda was also found guilty of the attempted killing and of making threats, while Leiva was convicted of possessing a weapon.

After the sentencing, family members present in court shouted that the pair were innocent.

In an interview from prison earlier this year, Leiva Soda claimed he was set up by a relative who feared reprisals after Leiva was shot during a family fight, a week before he was arrested.

Another factor was a NZ$6100 police reward for information.

He had no alibi, but said the murder weapon had not been found and D’Amico, who saw the killer’s face, did not identify him or his nephew in a lineup. Both had extensive criminal records.

Reid remembered her nephew as a ‘‘good grandson’’ to her parents Hugh and Joan Nees, who lived in Paraparaumu until they died within hours of one another, aged 94 and 92, in June.

‘‘Nick was always friendly, charming, warm-hearted.’’