Liberty's killer jailed as her family tell of ongoing despair

Liberty Templeman. Photo / Supplied

The details of the last brutal moments of Liberty Templeman's life will probably never be known, as her killer was the only witness and he has yet to give an honest account of what happened.

That was Justice Raynor Asher's assessment of the November 2008 killing of the Auckland 15-year-old, as he yesterday sentenced 16-year-old Theo Kriel to a minimum 11 years in prison for her murder.

The pair had been walking along the bank of the Wairoa Stream in Kerikeri when a row developed. Liberty was beaten then left face down and unconscious in the stream to die.

"I see your attack on Liberty and your dragging her to the stream and leaving her face down in the water as one part of a continuous attack, begun in anger and finished in fear of panic and detection," Justice Asher told Kriel.

The public gallery of the High Court at Whangarei was packed for yesterday's sentencing, which included emotional victim impact statements from Liberty's family.

The Templemans no longer gather at the dinner table as the presence of an empty chair is too much a reminder of Liberty, her brother Billy, 13, told the court.

"Soon after Liberty died, I started to sleep in her bedroom. I felt a closeness, even though we only moved there 10 days before. I continue to sleep in there and light a candle every night in our bedroom ... this is where I do my crying."

Andrew Templeman spoke of his despair at not being able to take care of his daughter, or see her in her final moments.

He broke down as he spoke of how he could have "quite happily" stepped off a cliff, had it not been for the love of his family.

Rebecca Templeman said she hoped one day she would remember her daughter without the trauma that surrounded her death. And without the mental image of Theo Kriel.

"He's always there, standing over her shoulder, casting even more shadows in the very dark corner that we find ourselves in."

She stared at Kriel as she spoke.

Kriel wiped his nose on the collar of his shirt several times throughout the day, and appeared flushed. He spent most of his time looking at the floor.

Professionals that dealt with the teen said he had a "tendency to withdraw" when faced with confrontation, Justice Asher said.

"You appear to remove yourself from the emotional reality of what you have done."

Many of Kriel's actions had had a "childish quality" and were "immature", but the teenager had also showed "considerable cunning and guile" with his lies, Justice Asher said.

"At the time of the murder - although possessing considerable height and strength - you were immature. You were, if anything, young for your age in terms of your social skills.

"Your ability to deal with situations and your attempt to hide your wrong-doing by attacking Liberty had the childish mark of panic and then denial."

The 11 year sentence includes six months for the indecent assault on Liberty.

Outside court, Mrs Templeman described the sentence as "farcical"

Mrs Templeman said she and her family, who migrated from England in 2005, believed that immigrants who committed crimes such as murder should either serve their sentence in their home country, or be deported at the end of it.

The Kriel family are South African immigrants.