Greymouth murder: Aaron Potts jailed for life after brutal killing of Barbara Quinn

WARNING: Disturbing content

A spurned boyfriend who murdered a Greymouth mother of three before dumping her in the boot of her car with a dog chain and leash around her neck has today been jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 15 years.

Aaron Richard Potts, 37, ambushed Barbara Ann Quinn, 41, when she came home for lunch on December 6 last year, choking and stabbing her to death.

While he plotted her vicious murder, he messaged an acquaintance: "Do you think I can be a monster? Just pure evil?"

Greymouth mum-of-three Barbara Quinn. Photo / Supplied

"Going to try a new game today," the Cobden man wrote. "It's out the gate trust me."

Today at the High Court in Greymouth, Quinn's family described in emotional victim impact statements how their lives had been ripped apart by the brutal murder, telling Potts to "rot in hell".

The court heard that Potts and Quinn had been in a relationship for about eight months.

But despite Potts' protestations, their relationship had ended last November.

He took it badly.

Aaron Potts is sentenced at the High Court in Greymouth for the murder. Photo / Kurt Bayer

On December 5, 2019, at about 10pm, after arguing with her over the phone, a drunken Potts drove to Quinn's house in Shakespeare St, Greymouth.

Unsteady on his feet, Potts tried talking about their relationship but Quinn told him it was over.

The argument got louder. Quinn's daughter got upset and scared.

Potts grabbed Quinn by her arms and pinned her against the wall in the hallway, causing her to scream for help.

Her daughter came to her rescue and pushed Potts off.

He took off but fumed overnight.

Aaron Potts waited for Barbara Quinn to return to her Greymouth home for lunch before he attacked. Photo / NZ Herald

The next morning he was still angry.

Police would later find that at 5.56am, Potts made seven internet searches investigating whether cutting your wrists was the best way to commit suicide.

At 8.17am, he bought a dog toy and snap knife from Greymouth Mitre 10, before getting some chocolates and flowers from the supermarket.

Records show that at 8.37am, his cellphone connected to Quinn's home Wi-Fi, and he was seen by an acquaintance sitting in a vehicle in Byron St. The acquaintance parked and went to talk to Potts but he'd disappeared before returning later in the morning.

At 11.48am, Potts googled "How to choke someone".

Aaron Potts took Barbara Quinn's car and dumped her in the boot. Photo / Police

Then Potts lay in wait. He knew Quinn's habits and that she routinely came home for lunch between 1pm and 2pm. He also knew she would be alone.

Just before 1pm, Potts parked on Nelson St, a block from her house.

He walked to where he could see Quinn arrive home in her white Mazda hatchback.

About 1pm he saw her park, get out and go in through her back door.

Potts followed.

"The victim reacted with surprise and anger at his arrival, wanting him to leave," the Crown said.

What happened next makes for disturbing reading.

Potts punched her once with a closed fist to the throat, causing her to fall to the ground, gasping for breath.

He picked her up and threw her towards the pantry cupboard, breaking its handle.

She fell to the kitchen floor.

He started choking her hard and when he realised she was no longer responding, he "began worrying that he had gone too far" and that if she recovered, he would be in significant trouble.

He found a kitchen knife and deliberately aimed for her heart, stabbing her four times in the chest.

Two of the knife wounds pierced her heart, the court heard.

He put the knife away, backed up her car, and put Quinn in the boot, before driving north out of town.

He stopped at a garage in Dobson and picked up a Stanley knife.

When he got to a goldmine area on Notown Rd in the Arnold Valley east of Greymouth – a place he knew well – he found a secluded spot and parked up.

Police finally caught up with Potts on Notown Rd in the Arnold Valley near Greymouth where he hid for around a day. Photo / Kurt Bayer

Over the next 12 hours, "he spent some time in the vehicle with the deceased victim", the summary says.

When Potts heard vehicles in the area, believing the police were after him, he tried to hide.

He drank alcohol and watched 24 porn videos on the Pornhub website.

Potts tried to take his own life, the court heard, before running away.

At 2.30pm on December 7, police came across the car and made a grisly discovery.

Quinn was in the boot with a dog chain and leash around her neck.

QuinnTimeline

Potts was caught 800m away.

When police officers spoke to him, he admitted everything except using a dog collar to strangle her.

Potts said he'd gone to her house with flowers, chocolate and a teddy bear wanting to say sorry for the previous night.

"When the victim reacted angrily and slapped him with an open hand to the face, he saw red," the summary says.

'A lot is about himself': Judge refuses to let Potts read letter of apology

The court heard that Potts had written a letter of apology and had asked if he would be able to read it out today.

However, Justice Gerald Nation said "a lot of it is about himself" and he refused to grant permission.

The judge told that court that in his letter, Potts had talked about his mistakes as being "less than desirable", which Justice Nation said was "the worst of understatements".

"What you did was seriously criminal and callous. You deliberately killed a woman and caused irreparable loss to many," said Justice Nation, who however did accept that Potts is genuinely remorseful.

Quinn's son Luke told his mum's killer to "rot in hell" in court today.

A packed courtroom heard eight emotional and heartbreaking victim impact statements, which outlined the devastation caused by the killing.

Quinn's mum Chris, 68, described the moment police told the gathered family last December that they had found her daughter's body in the boot of her car.

The shock of the news was "something a mother should ever have to feel".

"My life changed forever," she said in a victim impact statement.

Quinn described her daughter as "considerate, loving, always there when needed" and someone who would do anything for family or friends.

"I miss her so much."

Her father Gerard Quinn told a shamefaced Potts in the dock: "I'm just gutted. You took my daughter's life in a premeditated act of violence without any remorse or compassion, for what possible reason?"

Her older sister Melanie Quinn still struggles to comprehend how her sister, an "amazing mum" who was taken in such a "horrendous, cruel, brutal, selfish, unnecessary way".

"I feel like my heart has been ripped from my body – by you," she told Potts.

"I am broken. I feel like this has ruined me forever."

Quinn's sister Lana Blanchfield spoke of the pain and heartbreak caused by "one selfish act by someone who believed if he couldn't have her, no one could".

"He was so selfish, he didn't ever consider how loved she was by her family and friends."

And hearing what Potts did to her little sister "ripped me apart".

"I don't want to be that poor girl whose sister was murdered, but I am," Blanchfield said.

"Barb was so happy before he came along. I hope you suffer the rest of your life – just like you have made me and my family suffer."

Potts' mother Lynda Le Brun never thought "in a million years" that this would happen to her family.

She extended her heartfelt sympathy to Quinn's "wonderful, caring family" and spoke of how grateful she is that despite the devastating crime, none of them have ever blamed Le Brun or her family.

"My family is also broken," she said.

Crown prosecutor Pip Currie said it was a premeditated killing, describing Potts' attempts to say it was "spur of the moment offending" as ludicrous.

She highlighted the purchase of a knife that morning, along with the "sinister" messages to a friend, and internet searches on how to choke someone.

Currie said the killing has caused "unimaginable trauma", adding it was not hard to be moved by the "heartfelt and genuine" victim impact statements.

A pre-sentence report says Potts takes full responsibility for the murder – and has deep regret knowing the pain he has caused Quinn's children and family.

Justice Nation said Quinn was a central part of her family who had a great deal of love and respect for her.

And her three children have lost a loving mother who they could always rely on for support and understanding.

"They feel they have lost their direction in life knowing their mother will no longer be there alongside them," the judge said.

She touched the lives of so many

Police have released a statement from Quinn's family, saying she was a beautiful person, inside and out.

"She touched the lives of so many people.

"Family was everything to Barb, her children were her world. Barb was an amazing mum and loved her children endlessly. There are just no words to explain how this has impacted her children, their lives changed forever with the loss of their mum.

"To lose Barb in circumstances like these was just unbelievable, and has left the biggest, gaping hole in so many lives. She will be missed forever by her family and friends. All we have now are our treasured memories of such a special person.

"On behalf of our family, we would like to thank everyone for their endless support. I cannot express enough just how grateful we all are for this. Thank you."

Detective Senior Sergeant Kirsten Norton said this had been "an incredibly difficult time for Barb's family and I would like to pay tribute to their courage and strength over the past months.

"I would also like to thank the people of Greymouth for their support during the investigation. Barb was a well known and loved member of the community, and there are many people who have felt the impact of her tragic death.

"Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the dedication of the West Coast Police Team, for their hard work and determination to get justice for Barb.

"Our thoughts remain with her family and friends as they continue to deal with
their loss."