Cries of 'utu' as Vanessa Pickering's murderer sentenced

Malcolm Chaston (aka Maniapoto Walker) and Vanessa Pickering. Photos / Supplied

Malcolm George Chaston has been sentenced to preventive detention with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering Christchurch woman Vanessa Anne Pickering, whose body was found down a bank near Christchurch's Godley Head more than a year ago.

As his trial was due to begin in the High Court at Christchurch on February 14, Chaston also pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit sexual violation against a second woman and a sexual violation charge relating to a third woman.

In sentencing, Justice Christine French said the case for preventive detention was "strong and clear-cut".

As Chaston received his sentence and was led from the court, some amongst Miss Pickering's family and friends laughed out loud and shouted "utu" and "Chaston you wimp".

Family spokesperson Robyn Hanson, speaking after the sentencing, said: "With his history of repeat and violent offending, this is the only sentence that fitted his crime spree. Of course the punishment is clearly not enough for the horrendous acts he committed but under current law it's the best we could hope for."

Miss Pickering, 27, went missing from her Christchurch home in February last year. She was known to Chaston, having worked with him at a meat-packing plant that day.

Two days later, Chaston - a 41-year-old freezing worker - was captured by police using road spikes to stop his car at Cheviot, North Canterbury. He was driving a car that was being sought in connection with Miss Pickering's disappearance.

Miss Pickering's body was found down a hillside at Godley Head on February 11. According to the murder charge faced by Chaston, she had been stabbed.

The Crown's summary of facts states that Chaston went to Miss Pickering's Christchurch home and picked her up before driving her to a rural area near Christchurch.

He then took her from his van down to a secluded farm paddock where he attacked her with a serrated-edged knife that he had earlier picked up from his home.

Miss Pickering tried to defend herself against the knife attack but the attack was of such ferocity that the handle broke off the knife.

Miss Pickering suffered cutting wounds to her face, neck, chest, abdomen and both hands.

When Chaston was later stopped by police using road spikes in North Canterbury, he initially told them he was out of it on drugs and could not remember what had happened. However he later directed police to the area where Miss Pickering's body was found.

While taking police to Miss Pickering's body he told them: "She's dead aye" and "I stabbed her in the eye 'cos she was staring at me".

In her victim impact statement, Miss Pickering's mother, Rachel Kitson, told Chaston: "You could have stopped after inflicting that first cut but you chose not to. Vanessa was not an animal, but you Chaston, are."

Another of his victims said: "I feel so thankful that I'm still alive. I still think about what happened to me every day and I hope Malcolm never gets to see the sun again."

A long history of violence

Following Chaston's guilty plea in February, the NZ Herald revealed how prison officers feared the violent sex offender would commit further heinous crimes before he went on to kill, saying Chaston spoke openly while behind bars of wanting to hurt women and "become famous".

Chaston has a history of violent and sexual offending going back at least 22 years. While he was in jail, several prison officers were so worried about Chaston's risk of further crimes that they wrote emails which were sent on to authorities and politicians.

"It really turns my stomach to think that [the killing] was preventable," said Miss Pickering's mother, Rachel Kitson.

In one email, sent by a prison officer to the Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) in October, 2007 - a few months before Chaston's automatic release date - the officer warned that Chaston was a "very dangerous man indeed".

"I know some poor female ... sleeping at this moment will at some time ... be confronted by this monster," the officer wrote.

"I have come across two or three prisoners who have shared a cell with this man and all have told me the same thing. He has told them that when he gets out he is going to commit some atrocities against women and become famous.

"I know this man and feel he's more than capable of doing unspeakable things to women. He knows how easy it is in prison and fits in really well - so well that when he gets out he will do anything to get back in."

Another officer's emails in 2007 warned: "Malcolm Chaston will be released early next year, he is bragging to everyone that he is going to rape and murder 'some shiela (sic)' so he can make a big name for himself and come back to prison as top dog".

"He loves prison, he fits in well and will definitely come back but not until some poor woman gets murdered. Who will be responsible when he does this?"

Ms Kitson said there was no good reason to have let Chaston out.

"He's just evil to the core. I just don't want any other family to go through what we have been through, but I know there will be heaps more."