Girls guilty of murdering Opotiki school teacher

John Rowe died in November last year. Photo / Supplied

Two teenage girls were found guilty today of murdering retired Opotiki school teacher John Rowe by beating him repeatedly with his own walking sticks.

Courtney Churchward, 18, and Lori-lea Waiora Te Wini, 15, who had her name suppression lifted today, repeatedly beat the frail, 78-year-old man until he died on November 25 last year.

The girls then made his house look as though it had been trashed and took his wallet.

They said they only wanted to knock the man out, so they could rob him.

The jury took 4 1/2 hours to reach its verdict.

The 15-year-old had her name suppression lifted today.

Justice Geoffrey Venning thanked the jury for their work on what he said was a difficult case involving two young girls. He offered the jury counselling.

During the trial, the court heard how Churchward and Te Wini had taken sticks from the lounge into the bedroom where they believed Mr Rower might have valuables.

Churchward said she had hit him so he would "blank out".

She said Mr Rowe appeared strong because she had not knocked him out when she struck him around the face and nose.

She flicked the bedroom light on and off and became scared when she saw blood on his face.

However, mid-way through an interview with a detective, Churchward changed her story that she acted alone.

After a break in her interview with Detective David McIntosh she told him there was something she wanted to say.

"I have been saying it was only me because I didn't think my associate should be held accountable for my actions but she was part of what I done ... she was involved with everything that took place, yeah," Churchward said.

During the trial Churchward refused to handle the walking staff she attacked Rowe with.

Upon questioning, she denied that once she had started hitting Mr Rowe she could not stop.

Churchward: "I only hit him to knock him out, not hurt him so much."

However crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones said "You did that by hitting him again ... and again ... and again."

Asked if the only way she could cope with his death was to block it out, Churchward replied through tears that she would never block it out.

The pair have been remanded in custody for sentencing on December 18.

- NZPA, NZ HERALD STAFF