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Aaron Richard Potts took flowers and chocolates around to his ex-girlfriend’s home, but when she rejected his attempt at reconciliation, he strangled her and stabbed her four times in the heart.
Potts then spent 12 hours with Barbara Ann Quinn’s body in a car in a remote area watching porn before unsuccessfully attempting suicide.
He was on Friday sentenced to life in prison – with a minimum non-parole period of 15 years – for killing Quinn in her Greymouth, West Coast home last December.
Potts, 36, pleaded guilty in January to murdering Quinn, 41. A second charge of assault of a person in a family relationship was withdrawn.
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Quinn’s family, including her three children, read emotional victim impact statements in court.
Her sister Lana described the pain, horror and disbelief of her sister’s death.
“She was taken away in one selfish act by someone who believed if he could not have her, no one else could,” she said.
“What he did to her, that ripped me apart.
“I want to turn back time …[to] before he started manipulating her and manipulating her family. Barb was so happy before he came along. I hope you suffer the rest of your life just like you have made me and my family suffer,” she told Potts.
Barbara Ann Quinn was murdered at her Greymouth home.
Quinn’s older sister Mel, her mother, father, ex-husband and three children described how Quinn was a loving, kind and amazing mother, sister, daughter and friend. They said she had worked hard for a fresh start in a new house just before her murder, and was well-known and loved by the Greymouth community.
Presiding High Court Judge, Justice Gerald Nation, said Potts offending was highly brutal and callous. He refused to allow Potts to read out a letter of apology to the court. He did allow Potts’ defence lawyer read out a victim impact statement from Potts’ mother, who said she felt shame and shock at what her son had done.
Justice Nation accepted Potts’ submission that he went to the house with flowers and chocolates to rekindle his relationship with Quinn but not that the murder was unpremeditated.
“You were clearly planning before you entered the house to act violently if she did not act in the way you wanted. There are no mitigating features of your offending,” he said.
The court heard Potts and Quinn were in a relationship for about eight months, which ended about two to three weeks before the murder. Potts wanted to continue the relationship, but Quinn refused.
On December 5, Potts drove to Quinn’s home in Greymouth after having an argument with her over the phone.
He argued with Quinn and pinned her against a wall. Quinn yelled for help and her daughter pushed Potts off her.
The next day he made seven suicide-related internet searches just before 6am on December 6.
He sent ominous Facebook messages to an acquaintance about three hours later, including: “Do you think I can be a monster? Just pure evil?”
Records show Potts’ cellphone connected to Quinn’s home wi-fi at 8.37am and he used his cellphone to Google “how to choke someone” three times at 11.48am.
He knew Quinn would be returning home between 1pm and 2pm for her lunch break, as she usually did, and that she would be alone.
He entered the home through the back door and he had alcohol, chocolates and flowers with him.
When Quinn asked him to leave he punched her in the throat and strangled her.
He then took a knife from a kitchen drawer and stabbed her four times in the chest, penetrating the left ventricle of her heart. He put Quinn’s body in her car before driving it north out of Greymouth.
He drove to a secluded gold mine area off Notown Rd. He spent the next 12 hours in the vehicle, drinking alcohol and accessing 24 pornographic videos on a website.
He also tried to kill himself, but was unsuccessful.
Police found him 800 metres from the car and arrested him after discovering Quinn’s vehicle with her body in the boot about 2.30pm. She was found with a dog collar and leash around her neck.
Potts told police he went to Quinn’s home with the flowers, chocolates and a teddy bear to apologise for the previous night’s events. When she reacted angrily and slapped him across the face, he “saw red”.
Flowers at the Shakespeare St home of Barbara Ann Quinn, 41, whose body was found in a vehicle in rural Greymouth.
WHERE TO GET HELP
Shine domestic violence national helpline – 0508 744 633
Lifeline – 0800 543 354
Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Youthline (open 24/7) – 0800 376 633. You can also text 234 for free between 8am and midnight, or email talk@youthline.co.nz
Alcohol Drug Helpline (open 24/7) – 0800 787 797. You can also text 8691 for free.
Supporting Families in Mental Illness – 0800 732 825.
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