Killer stole the love of my life, says grieving partner

Gary Chadderton struggles to cope with the loss of soulmate Diane White. Photo / Alan Gibson

Gary Chadderton is still battling with the loss of his soulmate and the woman he describes as the love of his life.

His long-term partner, Diane Elizabeth White, died of head injuries about midday on Tuesday after she was allegedly attacked by her neighbour on a suburban Hamilton street.

Mr Chadderton, who at 72 has only recently retired from his commercial cleaning business, fought tears as he told the Weekend Herald of his love for Ms White, a 53-year-old sickness beneficiary.

"I loved that woman, she was my soulmate. I've been out with a lot of women in my life and this is the only one that hit home, Diane was one out of the box.

"You get up in the mornings and you think everything is all right and you go for a walk and then it hits you. It comes out of nowhere and that's unreal," he said.

He wants "to see justice done" and despite some neighbours being critical of the response to the incident, he bore no grudges towards police or mental health services.

"I think they probably did all they could do under the circumstances.

"Whether things could have been different I don't know. They looked like they were going and trying to do their best. I can't put any blame on the police," he said.

Mr Chadderton moved into his Blackburn St home in Frankton, just across the road from Ms White's small duplex unit nearly 20 years ago.

He said the pair clicked and found they both liked rock'n'roll music.

They soon became an item and would often be at each other's homes indulging in their shared passion: zombie films.

"Everything seemed to be right," said Mr Chadderton.

"She was very generous, very kind and very loving. She called a spade a spade and wouldn't take any rubbish, but at the same time if they were right with her she was a sweet person."

About two years ago the pair went to Phuket in Thailand on holiday.

They were planning a return trip this year "and then this happened".

"This whole thing has been just so unnecessary and so awful, I still can't believe it."

Mr Chadderton said he was hoping to hear from Ms White's son, James, who is understood to be coming back to New Zealand to arrange his mother's funeral.

The police response to the incident is being reviewed by an investigator from outside the district.

Her alleged killer, a 40-year-old woman, is understood to be a patient at Henry Bennett mental health facility.

She has been remanded into the care of the Henry Bennett Centre on a murder charge and is to reappear in Hamilton District Court early next month.