Killer's mother ends silence on torn family

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The mother of a millionaire horse trainer who murdered his wife has spoken for the first time about her torn family.

Jan Meads, 89, said she and her family would not support their 10-year-old granddaughter because they believed the victim's dad was after money.

Greg Meads was sentenced to a minimum of 11 years in prison in March after being found guilty of murdering wife Helen, the mother of their daughter Samantha. He fired a shotgun into her throat.

Jan Meads' comments come after calls for financial help from Helen's father David White.

The Herald on Sunday understands White, 67, is due to start a new job driving trucks next week to help pay for Samantha's upbringing. He refused to comment because of legal action in the Family Court.

Jan Meads said claims Greg Meads was worth $47 million were "outrageous". "They just pluck figures out of the air."

She was "prepared at any time" to financially assist with raising Samantha. "But it's not going to come through him [David White]. He says he's not interested in the money. That's a mis-statement to start with. That's all he's interested in."

Meads said she knew it was difficult to raise a child after retirement. She also said she wanted to see her grand-daughter - but had made no approaches since shortly after the arrest.

Jan Meads' husband Howard died in April. She said it was hard knowing he had died with his son in prison for murder and without seeing Samantha.

She wanted to be part of her granddaughter's life. "It will come to pass. Something will happen sooner or later."