Christie Marceau, centre, with her mother Tracey and sister Heather. Christie was killed at her family home in November 2011. Photo / Supplied
Christie Marceau, centre, with her mother Tracey and sister Heather. Christie was killed at her family home in November 2011. Photo / Supplied
The long-awaited inquest into the death of North Shore teenager Christie Marceau will begin in Auckland tomorrow - and will feature evidence from the family and lawyer of the youth who killed her.
Christie, 18, was stabbed repeatedly in her family home by Akshay Chand in November 2011, a month after he was released on bail on charges of kidnapping and assaulting her.
Chand had been released on bail to live within several hundred metres of the Marceau family home, despite Christie's pleas and police opposition.
Judge David McNaughton granted Chand bail but ordered the 18-year-old not to contact or go anywhere near Christie or her home and set a 24-hour curfew.
Chand ignored all of his conditions though, and Christie was killed.
Akshay Anand Chand in the dock at the North Shore District Court on November 8, 2011. Photo / File
Chand was charged with murder but found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was - and continues to be - detained as a special patient at a forensic mental health facility.
Tracey Marceau told the Herald on Sunday she had been fighting for justice for her youngest child since the day she died.
"What we would like to see from this inquest is openness and transparency from everyone involved in the preventable death of our beautiful Christie," she said.
"This is the time to learn from the mistakes made, to prevent it happening to another family.
"We hope the truth will not be hidden and responsibility will be accepted."
Brian Marceau and Tracey Marceau addressing the media after leaving Auckland High Court following the sentencing of Akshay Chand in 2012. Photo / File
After Christie died her parents moved to Australia and are travelling back to attend the inquest.
They expect the next two weeks to be hard emotionally and mentally but they are going into the process with one thing in mind - justice.
"For nearly six years we have battled to make sure Christie's voice is heard," Tracey Marceau said.
"This inquest has been a long time coming and we live in hope that the answers we seek will be there.
Our lives have been on hold since 7 November 2011 and it is time that we are allowed to be able to grieve properly, try to rebuild our lives and get some justice for Christie.
A two-day inquest was set down for August 2014 but it was postponed two weeks before it was set to start.
It is set to go ahead tomorrow before Coroner Katharine Greig in Auckland.
Tracey Marceau and her husband Brian will give evidence, as well as police who investigated their daughter's death.
The Herald on Sunday has learned that Chand's mother, aunt and his younger sister - who was a young teenager when he was bailed to live at the family home before he killed Christie - will also give evidence.
And Chand's lawyer Mary-Anne Lowe will also be called as a witness alongside staff from the North Shore District Court and forensic mental health staff who were involved with the case up to the bail decision.
It is understood all parties have legal representation.
