Hardly raising his anguished eyes from the ground, the partner of slain Invercargill woman Verity McLean had a prepared statement read for him outside court today as her killer, and husband, was sentenced to life in prison.
Garry Duggan was present when his partner Verity McLean was shot by her husband Ben McLean in the face with a rifle on Anzac Day this year in the Invercargill suburb of Newfield.
Mr Duggan was also shot twice, in the upper chest and forearm, by Mr McLean in the attack.
Former NZ First MP Michael Laws read a prepared statement for Mr Duggan outside the High Court at Invercargill following today's sentencing.
"She (Verity McLean) tried to make her relationship with Ben McLean work, and she tried often on behalf of her children," Mr Duggan's statement said.
Bob Barber said he could not understand how Ben McLean took his daughter in such a 'cowardly, callous and brutal way'.
"When she had the chance for true happiness, for release, for a new life for herself and for her son, Ben McLean decided that his hate, his anger and his perverted sense of wrong was more important than everyone else, including his police oath, his community, his family, and most importantly his children.
"One day Ben McLean will be released from prison, and on that day another grave injustice will have been created.
"He knew the potential consequences if he was convicted, but he also knew as he knew today, that one day, he will walk free.
"Bert (Verity McLean) will never walk free. She won't enjoy her kids growing up, she won't enjoy the joy of being an older parent and grandparent, a chance of having a merry family Christmas, or the chance for genuine happiness.
"I'm only glad that in the short time that we were together that there was the promise of that future in life."
This morning at the High Court, Justice Rachel Dunningham sentenced McLean to a life sentence of 17 years for the murder of Mrs McLean, and seven years for the attempted murder of Garry Duggan.
McLean, who had broken down while reading an apology to the court this morning, stood quietly as the sentence was handed down.
He had pleaded guilty in the same court last Thursday.
McLean shot his wife of 20 years, 40-year-old Mrs McLean, in the head with a sawn off .22 rifle on Anzac Day this year in the Invercargill suburb of Newfield.
McLean was sentenced to 17 years for murdering his wife Verity and sentenced to seven years for the attempted murder of Garry Dugan.
The moment judge sentences former cop McLean to life in prison for murder of his wife.
He later shot Mr Duggan twice, hitting him in the upper chest and the forearm.
The two struggled and Mr Duggan wrestled the rifle from McLean.
McLean handed himself into the Invercargill police station, where he worked, 40 minutes after the shooting.
SHARE ME