"I'm sorry,'' Wanaka chef Ahu Stanley Taylor said to members of his victim's family as he was led away to begin a prison sentence of 10 years and eight months for attempting to murder Wanaka father of two Kahu Vincent.
After the sentencing in the High Court in Invercargill yesterday, Jodi Stevenson, whose daughter Jade Makuru is Mr Vincent's partner, said, "time would tell'' whether Taylor really was sorry.
"Sorry is something that can be easily said, but his future actions will prove whether he is sorry or not.
"He might well be, I don't know. But if he gets out and does the same thing again I'm worried for our community. Wanaka is a safe little town generally. I'm worried for whatever town he turns up in.''
Taylor (38) and his co-offender, Leon Rowles (34), beat Mr Vincent so severely during a prolonged, unprovoked attack in the Wanaka Night ‘n Day store on May 9 last year that Mr Vincent nearly died.
He suffered such major brain injuries he had to learn to walk, talk and eat again and still cannot drive, work more than one hour a day or look after his children by himself.
He needs help with everyday activities such as shopping, and suffers from social anxiety.
Mrs Stevenson, supported in court by her son Joram, said her daughter was too anxious to attend the sentencing and Mr Vincent had been unable to travel since the assault.
During the sentencing, Mrs Stevenson read a powerful victim impact statement on behalf of her daughter outlining the consequences of the assault on Mr Vincent, herself, their children, now aged 2 and 5, and other family members.
Ms Makuru said she was "completely heartbroken'' when she first saw her partner of 10 years lying "motionless, swollen and bruised'' in the critical care unit at Dunedin Hospital.
"To think it was caused by these two heartless men - and for what?''
Life was still hard, she said.
Mr Vincent was easily upset when before he was a happy guy.
He was seeing physical therapists five days a week, and a psychologist to help him begin to interact with people again.
Mrs Stevenson looked directly at Taylor as she read her own victim impact report.
She said one year on, the whole family was still paying.
"There is not a day goes by when we don't wish we could wind the clock back ... I hope you think about what you've done and why. It wasn't necessary. I hope you've changed before you get out [of prison].''
Rowles pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
Taylor also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm but denied the attempted murder charge saying he had no intention of killing Mr Vincent.
However, a jury found him guilty of that charge after a trial in Invercargill in February.
After Taylor's sentencing Mrs Stevenson said Rowles' decision to appeal had been "very disappointing'' and upsetting for Mr Vincent's family and she hoped Taylor would not do the same.
"If he is really genuinely sorry, he won't appeal.
"If Leon [Rowles] was genuinely sorry, he wouldn't have appealed.
"In my book, if someone does something wrong they put their hand up and they go ‘yep, I did it. Give me the punishment and I'll suck it up. I deserve it'.
"If you're genuinely sorry you don't ask for leniency, do you. You say 'I suck. Give me what I deserve and I'll deal with it'.
"Because this poor family is dealing with it, a year down the track.''
Asked if the Taylor's sentence was long enough, she said she did not think any sentence would ever be long enough.
