Woman killed abusive partner

A South Auckland woman has been sentenced to home detention for the manslaughter of her partner who she stabbed to death after years of domestic violence.

And the judge who heard her case said he was certain her experience with abuse and a simple urge to protect herself and her child were behind her offending.

Karen Anne Ruddelle was found guilty of killing Joseph Michael Ngapera, who died in November 2018 after being stabbed twice in the chest.

Ruddelle was charged with murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

She never denied she was responsible for Ngapera’s death but strongly denied there was any murderous intent.

Rather, she said she was acting in self defence trying to protect herself and her teenage son, and was suffering from social entrapment — effectively battered women’s syndrome — after a lifetime of domestic violence, including at the hands of Ngapera.

Sentencing before Justice Matthew Palmer yesterday started with members of Ngapera’s family reading victim impact statements.

Ngapera’s father, John Ngapera snr, said he struggled to believe his son was dead but was forced to face reality.

Less than a year after Ngapera died, his brother died, and then his son. “I feel the weight of all these losses . . . I feel the loss of my son,” he said. Justice Palmer said he had to denounce Ruddelle’s conduct, deter others from doing similar and take into account her rehabilitation. .

“His conduct that night, and in the past, led directly to your actions,” he told Ruddelle.

“I consider it was reasonable for you to have expected Mr Ngapera to be about to inflict violence on you and your son.”

After discounts Justice Palmer reached a sentence of 23 months in prison — which allowed him to consider home detention. He acknowledged the Crown opposition to that, but said given her compliance, the fact she was not a risk to others and that she was raising her youngest son prison was not appropriate.

Justice Palmer sentenced Ruddelle to 11 months of home detention.