Family plead for slain man's body

The judge showed mercy, says the dead man's brother; now it's our turn

The family of the man Stephen Stone shot in cold blood appealed yesterday to one of Stone's accomplices to help them find Deane Fuller-Sandys' body so he can be given a proper burial.

As Mr Fuller-Sandys' brother, Wayne, watched the sentencing of two men who helped Stone dispose of two of his victims' bodies, he asked one of them to show the family mercy and reveal where his brother was buried.

"As the judge said, we can never mourn Deane's death properly until his body is found. It's still agony 10 years on," said Wayne Fuller-Sandys outside the High Court at Auckland.

Colin Neil Maney, aged 27, and Mark William Henriksen, 32, were sentenced yesterday for being accessories to the murder of Deane Fuller-Sandys, 21, and Auckland prostitute Leah Stephens.

Murder charges were dropped when they struck a deal to give evidence under immunity.

Henriksen was jailed for three years and Colin Maney for two years, but Justice Williams suspended Maney's term for two years and ordered him to be placed on supervision.

Stone and Gail Maney were both sentenced to life imprisonment last month.
Wayne Fuller-Sandys said: "Although it's satisfying to see the ringleaders put away, it's not closure until we find Deane. We hope now that the judge showed mercy to Colin Maney he will show us mercy and tell us where Deane is buried."

He added he was disappointed by the three-year sentence imposed on Henriksen.

"What kind of man can stand by as someone is executed then callously bury them in a wood? He should be locked up for good."

Stone was also sentenced to a further 10 years' prison for the rape of Leah Stephens. The new term will be concurrent with his life sentence.

Stone shot Deane Fuller-Sandys in the head several times in the basement of a West Auckland house on August 21, 1989, after Gail Maney ordered a hit on him in retaliation for the theft of property and drugs.

Stone then handed the gun to several others, including Henriksen and Colin Maney, who also fired shots into the body.

Five days later Stone picked up Leah Stephens from her Queen St beat and took her back to the same house in Larnoch Rd.

He raped her, stabbed her in the stomach and cut her throat. Her body was found nearly three years later where it had been dumped in a Muriwai forest.

The judge said he rejected defence claims that Henriksen was coerced by Stone.

Maney, however, was 18 and both fascinated and repelled by the events in Larnoch Rd.

He had been deeply troubled and in 1992 spoke to his employer, who later went to the police.

Leah Stephen's grandmother, Isla Kirby, said: "I am glad that Stone is somewhere where he can't hurt anyone else."