Toddler's killer jailed for 17 years

Patricia Pickering after she was found guilty of murder. Photo / Dean Purcell

The killer of a 3-year-old boy continued to protest her innocence today as she began a life sentence for his murder.

Patricia Angela Pickering, 38, will have to serve a minimum term of 17 years for the murder of Dylan Hopeha Rimoni.

Dylan died in hospital on April 18, 2008 from massive head injuries likely to have been caused by being slammed against a hard surface like a door or wall.

At the High Court at Auckland this morning, Justice Edwin Wylie said Dylan was effectively defenceless and that Pickering abused a position of trust.

Dylan's death had caused disquiet amongst right thinking members of society, he said.

"Crimes against young children are regrettably all too common in our society. There can be no excuse for abusing a child."

A pre-sentence report revealed Pickering didn't show empathy or sadness over Dylan's death even though she considered him as one of her own children.

Through her lawyer, Frank Hogan, she said she had never, ever, harmed Dylan. "From the time he came to live with her...She loved Dylan fully and dearly and at no time did she ever assault or harm Dylan."

Pickering cried throughout the sentencing hearing as she had done so for much of the six-and-a-half week trial.

There were murmurs of approval from Dylan's family when the sentence was passed and claps when she was led away.

Pickering's trial heard she dialled 111 on April 16, 2008, in a panic and told the operator Dylan was in a deep sleep.

The Crown alleged she had slammed his head against an "unforgiving" surface that caused his brain to bleed and swell. He died in hospital after his life support was switched off two days after he was admitted.

Prosecutors showed the jury a door taken from Pickering's house that had an indentation in it in which a hair likely to have come from Dylan was found in a crack.

Forensic tests could not prove conclusively it was Dylan's hair but tests showed a link with the family of his mother, who was not related to Pickering.

Mr Hogan said she was not an uncaring monster and had been overwhelmed by sadness at Dylan's death.

He told the trial the case could be summed up by seven words Pickering said to detectives when she was first arrested: "This is all one big terrible mistake."