Skantha guilty

The family of a teen stabbed to death by a Dunedin doctor say they will somehow have to move on from their double tragedy.

Lisa Ann Rush found her daughter, 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush, dead in the bed of her Corstorphine home on February 3 last year.

Four months later, the mother died of a suspected suicide.

Shane Rush (centre) and family leave after a jury in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday found Venod Skantha was guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Shane Rush (centre) and family leave after a jury in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday found Venod Skantha was guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush. Photo: Peter McIntosh
A jury in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday unanimously found Venod Skantha (32) guilty of murdering Amber-Rose after just three hours of deliberations.

He stood dispassionately in the dock as the verdicts were read, glancing at jurors and then at his lawyer, Jonathan Eaton QC.

Skantha was also convicted on four counts of threatening to kill and remanded in custody to be sentenced on March 6.

Shane Rush, the victim’s father, fought back tears outside court as he thanked all those who had helped the family over the past 22 months.

He thanked police, the judge and jury for ‘‘the time and effort it took to get some justice for our beautiful young girl’’.

‘‘This has been such a horrendous time for us all,’’ Mr Rush said.

‘‘The taking of Amber-Rose’s life has affected our family in every way. Two family members are now gone and everyone else now has to find a way to move on.’’

Shortly after Amber-Rose’s death, police saw an online conversation which put the junior doctor at the forefront of their investigation.

Venod Skantha
Venod Skantha
During the evening of February 2, Skantha had messaged the victim about a payment on his credit card for which he thought she might be responsible.

Amber-Rose reacted angrily and questioned the defendant about molesting teenagers, offering them money for sex and plying them with alcohol.

She later posted a screenshot of the conversation, including her allegations, on Instagram.

Just minutes before her death, Amber-Rose confirmed she was serious about taking her complaints to police and Skantha’s superiors at Dunedin Hospital.

The court heard he was on a final warning at the time after turning up to a work meeting after consuming beers and treating a patient while off-duty and in a “highly emotional” state.

Skantha killed Amber-Rose, the Crown said, to protect his medical career.

“It’s not only his job that’s at stake, it’s his liberty,” prosecutor Robin Bates said. “A rooster to a feather duster overnight.”

Alongside the allegations during the trial of indecently assaulting Amber-Rose, there were other teenaged girls who gave evidence of sexual impropriety.

While defence counsel Jonathan Eaton QC said it served no other purpose than to “blacken the character” of his client, the Crown said it proved the defendant would have known there was force behind the victim’s threats.

Once the online conversation with Amber-Rose ended, Skantha picked up a 16-year-old friend who drove him to Clermiston Ave.

The Crown said the doctor took the knife as part of his “master plan” to silence the girl.

Amber-Rose sustained six wounds to her neck, one of which caused her to bleed to death, a pathologist told the jury.

He emerged from the house, the Crown’s key witness said, carrying a bloody knife and the victim’s phone and driver’s licence.

Skantha tried to smash the phone on the pavement before they left the scene.

It was then discarded at Blackhead Quarry, where police found it a few days later.

Amber-Rose’s blood was found in the passenger side of the vehicle and on Skantha’s shoes, which the teenager said he deliberately left for the police.

The pair then travelled to the defendant’s ex-girlfriend’s house in Balclutha.

CCTV showed them the next day buying a large plant pot and other items from The Warehouse.

In it, Skantha burned the bloody garments.

Later, he threatened to kill his teenage associate, his family members and his cat if he
disclosed what had happened.

That threat was repeated when he dropped the boy home on February 4.

When he was arrested by police later that day, he denied any involvement in Amber-Rose’s killing or stopping at her house two days earlier.

Unbeknown to him, his teenage friend had earlier told officers the entire story.

Mr Eaton refused to comment on whether Skantha would appeal.

The death of Amber-Rose Rush: How the case unfolded

This account comes from the statements of the 69 witnesses who gave evidence at Venod Skantha’s High Court trial − as well as NZME and the Otago Daily Times’ previous court reporting.

Mid-2017

  • Venod Skantha, a doctor at Dunedin Hospital, narrowly avoids being fired for serious misconduct by telling supervisors his mother had died unexpectedly. His mother is still alive. He turns up to a meeting with his bosses a day early, then attempts to treat a patient after drinking beers.
  • Meets Amber-Rose during this period through mutual friends. Skantha held a number of parties at his Forbury property with many teenage guests.

Early January, 2018

  • The victim claims Skantha molested her after a night of heavy drinking. She told a friend she thought she may have been drugged − after allegedly waking up with Skantha’s hand down her pants and her top and bra removed. She also claimed he offered to pay her up to $20,000 to have sex with him. She told her friend she was no longer speaking to him.

February 2

  • In the evening, Amber-Rose posts screenshots of a conversation with Skantha on Instagram. In the messages she makes claims he’s been supplying alcohol to minors and “touching up young girls”. She claims she’s taking her evidence to police and the Southern District Health Board.
  • 11.17pm − 16-year-old mutual friend of the pair sends a screenshot of the Instagram post to Skantha. Skantha and Amber-Rose have a heated exchange about the post over Facebook messenger.
  • 11.25pm − Their last messages were exchanged. Skantha calls his teenage friend in front of several other teen witnesses, before he tells the youth he’s coming to pick him up.
  • 11.39pm − CCTV captures a silver BMW, which the Crown claims belongs to Venod Skantha, driving towards the Glen.
  • 11.45pm − The car is seen heading in the other direction.
  • 11.55pm  − Amber-Rose sends her last message to her boyfriend, Kristin Clark. Clark becomes concerned when she stops replying to his messages.

February 3

  • Shortly after midnight Clark leaves his flat to go and check on Amber-Rose. He arrives at her Clermiston Ave home about 12.15am and knocks on her window, but receives no response. Her brother, Jayden Rush, arrives home from work so he leaves.
  • 12.17am − Kristin Clark messages Amber-Rose a final time.
  • 2.30am-3am − Skantha and his young friend arrive at his girlfriend’s house in Balclutha. They spend the night there.
  • About 9am − Amber-Rose’s body is discovered by her mother Lisa-Ann. Emergency services are called and she’s pronounced dead at the scene. Later that morning Skantha suggests to his girlfriend they make a bonfire and roast marshmallows. The group are captured in CCTV footage at the Balclutha Warehouse buying supplies for this. The girlfriend later reports Skantha told her he was burning some old clothes before she joined him at the bonfire.

February 4

  • That morning, Skantha and his girlfriend take separate cars back to Dunedin.
  • 2pm − Skantha, his girlfriend, and the Crown’s star witness meets Amber-Rose’s mother in a motel room. Unbeknownst to them, another woman in the room is an undercover police officer. Skantha asks if it could have been a suicide − then suggests other people who could have killed her. Skantha then drops off his teenage associate at his home, allegedly threatening to hurt his family if he tells anyone. The youth immediately calls family members to warn them, before calling police.
  • Around 7pm − Skantha accidentally cuts his hand while playing with a machete in his house.
  • 8.20pm − Police pull Skantha and his girlfriend over in Moray Pl, leaving the Urgent Doctors, and they are taken back to the station.
  • 9.30pm − After a 45-minute interview at the Central Dunedin police station, Skantha is officially placed under arrest.

February 5

  • Venod Skantha appears in the Dunedin District Court charged with murder − and faces a barrage of abuse from the victim’s family members after his name is suppressed.

February 6

  • Police search a pond at Blackhead Quarry and recover the victim’s cellphone.

February 7

  • Police ask for public sightings of a silver BMW travelling between Dunedin and Balclutha on the night of the alleged murder.

February 20

  • Four charges of threatening to kill are added to allegations against Skantha.

March 6

  • Skantha pleads not guilty to all charges.

April 12

  • High Court declines electronically-monitored bail.

June 11

  • The victim’s mother, Lisa-Ann Rush, dies in a suspected suicide.

July 6

  • Skantha is again denied electronically-monitored bail after application to the High Court.

September 6

  • Court of Appeal declines the defendant’s third bail bid.

November 22

  • Pre-trial arguments are heard. Skantha’s defence team argues the trial should be heard outside Dunedin.

January 16, 2019

  • High Court rules the trial will remain in Dunedin and will take place in the second half of the year.

November 4

  • The trial begins.

November 27

  • A jury finds Skantha guilty of murder and four charges of threatening to kill.

rob.kidd@odt.co.nz

 

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