Mother's farewell note comes with sting

The farewell note sent by a mother to her son before she committed suicide was delayed because it had insufficient postage, Levin Coroner's Court was told yesterday.

At inquests into the death of his father, mother and sister, Pieter Burghout said even the farewell note from his mother, Janna Burghout, 75, was vindictive.

Janna Burghout, who was jointly charged with murdering her husband Dirk Burghout, 77, said in the note: "We were so proud of you and we loved you so much. You should have refused to help the police."

Mrs Burghout told her son he had "better start clearing his name".

She told him to give her love to his children, who might turn against him some day.

Barrister Greg King acted for Pieter Burghout's sister, Christina, from the time of her arrest for murder until her death.

He said he believed his client needed professional psychiatric help.

Christina Burghout was genuinely terrified of speaking to her brother Pieter and went into a panic about having any contact with him, Mr King said.

Janna Burghout had also written farewell letters to two of her grandchildren, her surviving daughter Helen Daymond and her lawyer.

She professed to loving dearly one granddaughter and said how hurt she was when the girl's mother banned contact.

She told the other girl about the $30,000 she had given the girl's parents to buy a house and listed other financial help she had provided.

These letters had been left in the Levin house, Mrs Daymond said.

Mrs Daymond's letter from her mother also contained the wish that family had not co-operated with police.

After all witnesses had given evidence Pieter Burghout told the court he believed his mother would have made the decision to take his father's life.

"Christina would have assisted and probably done the deed at the behest of my mother."

At the start of yesterday's hearing Pieter Burghout, a lawyer, said after reflecting on the evidence it would be easy to infer Burghout family life was all bad, but that was not the case.

"We did have good times as a family."

He said he was sad the family had to go through what they did at the end.

At the time of their deaths Janna and Christina Burghout lived together in Miramar, Wellington.

- LEVIN CHRONICLE