KEY POINTS:
The father of two young girls hugged them in court today moments before he began a life sentence for murdering their mother.
Stephen Robert Rukuata, 25, had earlier said from the dock in the High Court at Auckland he wanted to say to his precious daughters how "very, very sorry" he was for murdering their mother in their Papatoetoe, south Auckland, home in November, 2005.
He was appearing before Justice Mark Cooper for sentencing after he admitted killing his partner Bianca Nicole Stewart, 20, and was convicted by a jury of her murder.
"I look at yous today and I am so sorry for taking your most loving and wonderful mummy away," Rukuata said to his two young daughters as they sat in the public gallery with his parents who were now raising them.
He said he would try to make up for the misery and heavy burden he had placed on their young lives.
During his sentencing remarks, the judge said during a domestic incident Rukuata claimed he was provoked after his partner made highly personal remarks which were hurtful and diminishing of his manhood.
Those remarks deprived him of self control and induced Rukuata to kill her.
However, the jury concluded the crown had disproved the defence of provocation when it returned its guilty verdict, the judge said.
In a rare move Rukuata was allowed to speak from the dock.
He said it was with deep regret and remorse that he addressed the court.
Before he apologised to his daughters for murdering their mother he said never in his life would there be enough words to relieve the pain and sorry he had inflicted on Bianca's family.
He said he was sorry to have involved his own family in "my moment of total madness" when he lost all self control.
"I will try very hard to make up for the hurt I have caused."
The judge said Rukuata stabbed Bianca Stewart several times. One stab wound in her neck went into her spinal cord and killed her instantly. It was also possible some of the wounds were inflicted after she died.
After the stabbing he left his young daughters in the house where they would find their dead mother and tried to kill himself.
The judge said the couple struggled financially and mentally but drank to excess some times and Rukuata used cannabis.
He said he would impose no minimum non-parole period other than the mandatory minimum of 10 years that went with a life sentence.
- NZPA
