The widow of murdered Feilding farmer Scott Guy has sent a letter to the Government pleading for a cumulative sentence for her former brother-in-law Ewen Macdonald.
In the letter, Ms Guy calls Macdonald a “very dangerous, vindictive man and an extreme danger to our society and people”. She says he must pay for the “hurt, pain and suffering he has caused”.
Macdonald is expected to be sentenced this Friday for six crimes including four charges of criminal damage, one charge of arson and one of theft.
Ms Guy is a victim of two of those charges, one where Macdonald set an old farm cottage on fire and another where he vandalised the Guy’s new family home.
Macdonald was charged with Mr Guy’s murder but acquitted after a month-long trial in June this year. When the not guilty verdict was read, Ms Guy fled from the courtroom, yelling “you killed my husband”.
She has now partnered with the Sensible Sentencing Trust and is lobbying the Government for a cumulative sentence, rather than concurrent.
Macdonald’s partner in crime, Callum Boe – who was with Macdonald for all the crimes – was given a concurrent sentence last year of two years in prison.
He has since been released, serving less than half his sentence.
“A concurrent sentence will not reflect the suffering he has caused to my family, neighbours and the community and will mean that he is able to escape the true gravity of his actions,” Ms Guy wrote in her letter to Attorney General Chris Finlayson.
She says when Macdonald is eventually released; she will leave New Zealand and take her two sons, Hunter and Drover, with her.
“I am deeply afraid that he will re-offend as he has delivered unthinkable vengeful and spiteful attacks. I am now alone and I must protect my children and for this I need a sentence that reflects appropriate justice,” says Ms Guy.
Her letter finishes with a plea to the Government:
“Please look at this within your heart and help us.”
Sensible Sentencing Trust: Macdonald ‘evil and must pay’
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has also written to ministers and MPs asking for clarification on how Macdonald should be sentenced.
Spokesperson Garth McVicar says Macdonald is an “evil person” who must pay for his crimes. He says a concurrent sentence would be “pathetic”.
Mr McVicar says Macdonald’s victims fear retribution and deserve justice in the form of a cumulative sentence.
“[Prisoners] are told by every concurrent sentence that the system is full of lies […] that the authorities are happy to collude with criminals to mislead victims that they will see justice done,” his letter says.
He says Macdonald’s “repeated cruelty, dishonesty and viciousness” destroyed trust in the local Feilding neighbourhood.
His letter was sent to Attorney General Chris Finlayson, Prime Minister John Key, Justice Minister Judith Collins, Courts Minister Chester Borrows, NZ First leader Winston Peter, Labour leader David Shearer and Labour MPs Leanne Dalziel and Charles Chauvel.
Ms Guy also signed the letter.
Macdonald’s list of offending:
- Criminal damage: Slaughtering 19 calves belonging to Himatangi dairy farmer Paul Barber on the night of August 9, 2007. The calves had been struck on the head with an object.
- Criminal damage: Emptying 16,000 litres of milk from a vat belonging to another Himatangi farmer, Nigel Sexton, on the same night the calves were culled.
- Arson: Burning down an historic Maori whare built in 1888 which was on Mr Sexton’s farm. Macdonald used an LPG bottle and boat fuel to start the fire. The whare was used as a family sleep out and a duck shooter’s shelter.
- Theft: Driving to a nearby farm and shooting two trophy stags. He put them on his trailer and buried them in a pre-dug hole on the Guy family farm, where he was a manager.
- Criminal damage: Burning down an old farm house on the back of removal trailers at the site of Scott and Kylee Guy’s new home. The house and trailers were destroyed.
- Criminal damage: Vandalising Scott and Kylee Guy’s new home once construction had nearly finished.
More on Ewen Macdonald:
- The Scott Guy timeline
- Police interview with Macdonald: Part One (the denial)
- Part two (the admission)
- Part three (the denial of the murder)
3 News
source: newshub archive
