After the sentencing, Amber-Rose's father Shane thanked the country outside court. Video / ODT
The doctor who murdered Dunedin teen Amber-Rose Rush has been sentenced to 19 years in jail without parole.
Venod Skantha was sentenced at the High Court in Dunedin this afternoon for Rush's murder.
On November 27 last year, a High Court jury found 32-year-old Skantha guilty of murdering Rush. He was also found guilty of four charges of threatening to kill – related to the Crown's star witness against him.
Amber-Rose Rush's father Shane spoke outside court after the sentencing.
"It's pretty hard to say but the family would like to say thank you to the judge, the prosecution, and to everybody," he said.
He told the court the murder was committed in an attempt to avoid detection or prosecution.
"Murder was essentially a means of silencing Amber - to stop her making reports to police and his employers."
But defence lawyer Jonathan Eaton says Skantha maintains his innocence.
"He extends his sincerest condolences to the Rush family - as he did at the time of her death."
Eaton says Skantha will be appealing his sentence on the basis there's been a miscarriage of justice.
Justice Gerald Nation says the murder was particularly callous - and he would take this into account in the sentence.
"All murders are callous to a degree … [but you] burned your clothes and toasted marshmallows over the flames, then feigned sorrow to her mother.
"But that's not what made it callous to a high level. What made it callous to a high level is the efficient and clinical way Amber-Rose was killed – together with how you left her in her bed in a pool of blood for her mother to find in the morning.
"This was not something she could live with. She ended up taking her own life."
The judge sentenced Skantha to 19 years behind bars without parole.
Amber-Rose's older brother, Jayden Rush, was the only family member to read out a victim impact statement in court today.
It was written by his mother - Lisa-Ann Mills - who died in a suspected suicide four months after Amber-Rose's death.
"Out of everyone, Amber was closest to me… [she was the] glue that kept our family together through Christmases and birthdays. Now everyone's moving away, and I'm losing my family.
"I constantly wish I wasn't here – I wish I was with Amber. I have constant nightmares about finding her."
Lisa-Ann wrote she was struggling with the early days of the court case against Skantha.
"All I have is a little box of ashes... But I keep turning up for Amber."
The trial involved three-and-a-half weeks of intense debate. Jurors heard statements from 92 witnesses – more than 60 of whom appeared in person. They also had more than a thousand pages of evidence and numerous exhibits to consider.
Skantha had earlier pleaded not guilty to murdering 16-year-old Rush – who was found in bed at her Corstorphine home with her throat slashed by horrified family members on February 3, 2018.
The court heard Skantha had killed the teen after a terse social media exchange. Rush had posted screenshots of their Facebook conversation on Instagram – in which she made claims he was supplying alcohol to minors and "touching up young girls".
She told him she was going to take her concerns to his employers at the Southern District Health Board. Little did Rush know, Skantha's career was already on thin ice.
Around seven months earlier, the house officer turned up to a sit down with his bosses at Dunedin Hospital on the wrong day, before trying to treat a patient while drunk. He narrowly escaped being fired when he told his supervisor his mother had unexpectedly died.
Amber-Rose Rush of Dunedin was murdered in February 2018. Photo / Supplied
When Rush refused to take down the post, Skantha had a teenage associate drive him to her home. He snuck into her house using a hidden spare key, before attacking her in her own bed with a kitchen knife.
The court heard he and the teen then fled to Blackwell Quarry, and to his girlfriend's Balclutha home, to destroy the evidence.
Amber-Rose's family, including father Shane Rush, stepfather Brandon MacNee, brother Jayden and sister Shantelle, followed Skantha throughout his numerous court appearances.
After he was found guilty, Shane thanked the police for their hard work.
"Also to the judge, jury and prosecution for the time and effort it took to get some justice for our beautiful young hero.
"This has been such a horrendous time for us all. For all the family we are very thankful to everyone out there who has helped us, individually and as a family.
"The taking of Amber-Rose's life has affected us as a family in every way. Two family members are now gone and everyone else somehow has to find a way to move on.
