A High Court sentencing was held in Whanganui on December 2. Photo / Bevan Conley
A High Court sentencing was held in Whanganui on December 2. Photo / Bevan Conley
A woman who pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice in Jasmine Wilson's murder investigation has been sentenced to three months' community detention.
Wilson, aged 30, died on August 2, 2019, in Wellington Hospital.
Stevie-Lee Jade Wallace, 28, was sentenced in the High Court at Whanganui on Wednesday, December 2. She faced a single charge of perverting the course of justice.
Her sentence of community detention will enable her to care for her young children.
Justice Jillian Mallon announced the sentence by audiovisual link from Wellington. She suppressed the facts of the case until a verdict is given or until there is a further court order.
Wallace is the first person to be sentenced in relation to the matter.
Retelling what happened could prejudice the fair trial of others, including Zane Paora Wallace who will defend a charge of murder in February.
Leann Michelle Wallace and Steven Wallace have pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and will also stand trial in February.
Jasmine Wilson died in August 2019. Photo / Supplied
Wilson's parents were horrified by her death and want closure and justice, Justice Mallon said.
Wallace gave "several versions of events" at Whanganui Hospital, which misdirected the police investigation for a while.
However, her offending was not sophisticated or pre-meditated, and she did seek help for Wilson. She had a limited history of convictions and was at low risk of re-offending.
Jasmine Wilson was kind and loving, loyal to family and the sole remaining parent of two young boys, her mother Brenda Reuben said in her victim impact statement. She and her partner now care for Wilson's two children.
The boys are living with the tragedy of their father's death and the injustice of their mother's murder, Reuben said. Her life and the life of her partner have been rearranged, Wilson's siblings are also struggling and travel to hospitals and funeral have been costly.
"What happened in the days and months leading up to her death? You must know. Your guilty plea hasn't induced you to tell the truth to us," Reuben told Wallace.
Wilson's father Chris Wilson had a similar plea and said he hadn't had a day's happiness since her death.
"I feel like you have information that would help my girl achieve justice," he said.
Crown prosecutor Chris Wilkinson-Smith said Wallace's reports didn't show much remorse, and did show some minimisation. She had not apologised or reached out to Wilson's family.
Wallace's counsel Peter Brosnahan took issue with that. He said Wallace's probation report was riddled with remorse.
