A market gardener who stabbed a young Christchurch mum to
death in front of her three-year-old daughter has been
sentenced to life imprisonment.
Paul Gottermeyer can be named for the first time after losing
name suppression when he appeared before the High Court in
Christchurch this morning.
The 29-year-old from Kaiapoi pleaded guilty to murder last
month was told by Justice John Fogarty that he had carried
out a "horrible attack of the utmost gravity".
His victim and her daughter retain name suppression.
The girl saw Gottermeyer enter her Christchurch family home
on July 11 and stab her mum to death before slashing her
throat.
She told police: "Mummy did bleed everywhere ... and mummy
scream."
About 50 family members and friends of the victim filled the
court today to see Gottermeyer sentenced and tell him how the
crime had affected the family.
The woman's father asked the killer why he had taken his
"little princess".
"Life will never be the same," he said. "I feel angry and
betrayed."
Other family members say the young girl, who was three at the
time of the attack, suffers night terrors and relives the
ordeal.
The woman's brother told Gottermeyer the impact has been "sad
and sickening".
Gottermeyer was on medication at the time of the murder and
an outpatient at Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital.
The court heard how he left home at 7am on July 11 with a
large kitchen knife and drove to the woman's house.
He was let inside where a heated argument developed in the
kitchen.
Gottermeyer removed the knife and attacked her, knocking her
to the ground, and stabbed her repeatedly in the head, hands,
chest, and back, before slashing her throat.
Later when he was arrested, he said the girl had not seen the
attack.
He claims he closed the kitchen door and left water,
biscuits, and a mandarin for the girl before driving home.
After showering and washing his clothes, he dumped the murder
weapon which was never recovered.
The woman's body was found when her partner came home later
that morning to check why she had not arrived at work.
He found the daughter crying and upset.
The woman was found lying face down in the kitchen, and
police were called.
The killer was found driving on Marshlands Rd at 12.25pm.
Gottermeyer admitted the attack, and told officers: "I'm not
a very nice person."
Justice John Fogarty adjourned the case until February 28 for
a psychiatric report to be completed to establish
Gottermeyer's mental state of mind at the time of the
killing.
He will then determine the length of the minimum non-parole
period.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.