Grace Millane’s heartbroken mother Gillian has told the man who murdered her daughter that no life sentence he receives will match the life sentence she is enduring living without Grace.
In her victim impact statement that she read out to court via audio-visual link from the UK before the man was sentenced today, Gillian called the man’s actions on the night of Grace’s murder in 2018 wilful and cruel.
“Your barbaric actions towards my Grace is beyond comprehension,” Mrs Millane said.
“You walked into our life and destroyed Grace in pursuit of your own sexual gratification.”
“On a daily basis I’ve tormented myself over what you did to my Grace, the terror and pain she must have experienced at your hands.”
“She died terrified and alone in a room with you.”
The 28-year-old man, whose identity remains suppressed by court order, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 17 years in the High Court at Auckland this morning.
Mrs Millane said her family had struggled to go on since Grace’s murder with her father David becoming seriously ill.
“I have so much I want to tell her, I often catch myself talking to her photo,” Mrs Millane said.
“I cry myself to sleep most nights, and struggle to get up in the morning, how am I meant to get up and get on with my days? Knowing it’s just another day I won’t speak to her.”
“No life sentence you receive today will match the life sentence without my Grace.”
“I will do my utmost to ensure that no other family has to go through what we have endured.”
SHARE ME