KEY POINTS:
The fiancee of slain policeman Derek Wootton wore the wedding rings he had bought as a surprise for her during the unveiling of a plaque honouring him yesterday.
Bronwyn Hewitt found the gold and diamond rings hidden in a sock as she was putting away the uniform he was wearing on the night he died, The Dominion Post reported.
"It was a very sad time. He bought them for me and I thought he'd want me to wear them in the meantime.
"Ten years together is a long time. It's for his memory, to keep him with me."
The 52-year-old sergeant died when hit by a stolen car he was laying road spikes to stop in Porirua, north of Wellington, on July 11.
Ms Hewitt said yesterday's ceremony at the Police College in Porirua was a step in the grieving process .
She took comfort in being able to make sure the plaque was kept shining.
Mr Wootton's mother, Cath, 81, said she had been incredibly proud when he graduated from the college in 1994.
"I'm still proud of him. I'd rather there didn't have to be a plaque on the wall but it was nice to touch it and say some words to him."
- NZPA
