Suicides followed murder charges

Pieter Burghout

A mother and daughter entered into a pact to take their own lives after the death of an elderly family member, a Levin inquest was told yesterday.

Dirk Burghout, 77, who suffered from advanced Alzheimer's, was found dead with a plastic bag over his head in his Levin home on February 5, 2005.

His wife Janna, 75, and daughter Christina, 51, were later charged with his murder but their bodies were found floating in the sea at Houghton Bay on Wellington's south coast in June last year.

Coroner Phil Comber heard yesterday how Mrs Burghout told a widowed family friend: "You're lucky your husband is dead. Mine is still alive."

Mr Burghout's surviving daughter, Helen Daymond, told the inquest how her father had an undying love for his wife Janna that was not reciprocated.

Mr Comber found that Mrs Burghout and Christina Burghout committed suicide and he reserved his decision in the case of Mr Burghout for 10 or 12 days.

He said Mr Burghout's death raised several questions.

Did he die by his own hand, was he the subject of a "mercy killing" or did he die from foul play?

Mrs Daymond, 49, told the inquest: "Our family problem was alcohol."

She believed Christina was an alcoholic, and her mother was a heavy drinker.

She said she got on well with her "Poppa" who valued honesty and happiness.

"He had come to New Zealand from Holland in 1953 seeking to better himself ... My mother said he had no ambition."

Even though he had Alzheimer's "he was still a happy man".

"He had an undying love for my mother, who did not give the same affection back."

She said her mother shrank from his affection.

Mrs Burghout had "meted out the punishment".

Mrs Daymond said she remembered lying on the ground when she was aged about 4, and her mother kicking her repeatedly.

To Christina, their father was the person she hated most in the world.

She had witnessed an occasion when her sister had hit her father across the head with her hand.

Mrs Daymond said Christina had talked about mercy killing cases in New Zealand.

Detective Shane Cotter told the court both women had been charged with the murder of Dirk Burghout, who had died of asphyxiation.

He said that a car, registered in the name of Christina Burghout, was found near where the two bodies were recovered on Wellington's south coast in June.

The car still had the keys in the ignition, the radio playing and a court bail bond for murder in the name of one of the deceased.

The car also contained alcohol bottles, dentures, two glasses and several almost illegible, handwritten "farewell" notes on the dashboard.

Mr Cotter said the investigation had initially covered three scenarios: suicide, murder-suicide and the involvement of a third party.

Autopsies revealed the women had drowned and had sustained injuries through contact with rocks.

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

He said Christina Burghout was arrested for the murder of her father on March 17, 2005.

Janna Burghout was arrested and charged with murder of her husband on June 16. 2005.

After all witnesses had given evidence, Mr Burghout's son 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," he said.

- NZPA