Anger over killer's lack of remorse

Worthy Redeemed at his sentencing today. Photo / Ashburton Guardian

A victim's family has reacted angrily to the jail sentence handed to born-again Christian Worthy Redeemed.

The man, formerly known as Lee Errol Silvester, took hold of the wheel of a car in which he was a front-seat passenger, causing it to veer into the path of the bus near Woodend, north of Christchurch, on May 1, 2010.

The car's driver, Dean Jonathan McCartney, 21, and passengers Jethro Bronson Cooper, 16, and Kodee Marie Rapana, 15, died in the crash.

A jury of five men and seven women found Redeemed guilty of three charges of manslaughter at Wellington District Court last month.

They also found him guilty of two charges of injuring with reckless disregard and one charge of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard.

He was found not guilty of one count of injuring with reckless disregard.

Today at Ashburton District Court he was jailed for 14 years, with a minimum non-parole period of seven years.

The mother of the youngest victim, Kodee Marie Rapana, hopes her killer will rot in hell.

Kodee's mother, Leeann Aldersley, broke down in tears as she read a victim impact statement in court, and like other families, felt the sentence was not enough.

"Him (Redeemed) doing time is never going to bring my girl back and the families now have a lifetime of going without our kids.

"It does make it hard that he's shown no remorse for his actions but it wouldn't change what he's done, he will never own up to what he did so there's not much to say really, I just hope he rots in hell'' she said.

In her victim impact statement, Aldersley said she had lost a precious daughter, who was happy and bright.

"She was looking forward to a great future but now we will not see her in a chosen profession, get married or have children.

"The impact on her family has been unbearable, we love her so much so it breaks my heart that I will not be able to hold her again. You have taken the sunshine out of our lives,'' she said.

Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier said the deaths had a devastating effect of all three families, who struggled to put into words how the deaths have affected them.

"This will stay with the families forever,'' she said.