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A man who staged an early morning home invasion and stabbed his daughter's partner to death has been given a minimum non-parole term of 17 years in jail.
Bernard Johannas Hekkenberg, 49, was sentenced at Christchurch High Court today after he had earlier pleaded guilty to the murder of Damien Marshal Nicholson in Nelson in March.
Justice Chisholm said Hekkenberg -- who suffered from chronic depressive illness -- had been bitter because his daughter and her partner wanted him to move out of the caravan where he had been living on their property.
He bashed his way into the house in St Vincent Street, Nelson, at 2am on December 19, 2005. He then stabbed Mr Nicholson 18 times with a kitchen knife, including one blow which struck the heart.
Justice Chisholm said the attack had involved a home invasion, at a time of night when he would confront a vulnerable victim.
It involved a frenzied attack, and Mr Nicholson's partner and her nine-year-old son were in the house at the time.
"The impact of this on those close to Damien has been incalculable," he said.
Defence counsel Hamish Riddoch noted that the daughter's victim-impact report also mentioned that Hekkenberg had been capable of showing "compassion, warmth, tenderness and love".
- NZPA
