A Rotorua farmer who stabbed his ex-partner to death while she held their son in her arms has been sentenced to life in prison.
It comes after Ephraim Beazley, 33, last month pleaded guilty to the murder of Xi Wang, 34, at her home in the Auckland suburb of Flatbush on December 10.
He was sentenced in the Auckland High Court on Tuesday and must serve at least 17 years in jail before he is eligible for parole.
Beazley showed no emotion during sentencing.
Judge Simon Morre told the court that Beazley had lacked remorse throughout the trial.
"The heartwrenching reality which your son will face for the rest of his life... is that he has been robbed of the care, protection and love of his mother and secondly the incomprehensibility that the person responsible for that vaste hole in his life is his own father."
A victim impact statement read to the court described Wang as a highly intelligent person and a devoted mother. The statement, read on behalf of a friend of the victim, said Wang’s young son is devastated and constantly asks after his mother.
On the day of the murder, Beazley arrived home from work, showered, dressed and sharpened his sheath knife which he had previously used for hunting.
He then drove to Wang’s Flatbush home. When she answered the door he stabbed Ms Wang 18 times as she held their two-year-old son.
She was stabbed in her legs, abdomen, neck and head.
"You said you intentially targeted her vital areas, particularly the back of her neck, adding that you did not consider your attack to be particularly savage, rather it was very efficient and quick," Morre added.
After realising he had done enough damage to kill her, Beazley fled the scene and later rang police and admitted to stabbing her, police documents show.
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Wang was left at the house with her child in her arms before a female occupant of the house found her.
She was later taken to hospital where she died after emergency surgery.
Police said at the time that after they were called to Wang's house, a man contacted them alleging he was responsible for the attack. A short time later a man was taken into custody.
In the summary of facts, the defendant stated he had "had enough of life in general and particularly the state of his relationship with the victim".
It was revealed that Beazley had been thinking about killing his ex-wife for two years after becoming distressed at having to pay child support while not seeing his son.
Newshub.
