Liam Reid is serving a 23-year minimum non-parole sentence for the rape and murder of Christchurch woman Emma Agnew and rape and attempted murder of a former Dunedin woman.
The Ministry of Justice released, under the Official Information Act, Reid's legal aid bill, dating back to 2001.
To date, the total is $259,336.52.
"I feel like it's a slap in the face that such violent, malicious and well known criminals like Reid are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on them.
"This is a criminal who has repeatedly committed awful crimes throughout his life, is well known by the police and appears to lack any remorse for his crimes, yet he is given yet another chance to manipulate and make a mockery of the New Zealand legal system.
"Criminals such as Reid should not be given so many chances to repeat the heinous crimes and ruin people's lives," his victim said.
She believed criminals had "every right" to prove their innocence as "everyone should be given a fair and equal go at life".
"But where monsters like Reid are concerned, my view and opinion changes. Reid has been in and out of jail numerous times due to a variety of crimes, some of which are very similar to what he did to myself and Emma [Agnew].
"It seems obvious that Reid is an extremely violent criminal that shows no remorse for his actions against others and will never reform."
The largest chunk of Reid's legal aid bill, $207,803.13, was paid in 2008 and related to the defence of his rape and murder charges.
That case was foreshadowed by an earlier 2002 trial when he was found not guilty of eight sex crimes. However, he was convicted of using the woman's eftpos card and stealing $160 and was sentenced to three months in jail.
While in prison awaiting that trial, Reid attacked a fellow inmate, severely beating him with a broom handle, and hit another inmate who tried to intervene. He was sentenced to 27 months in jail for the attack.
In 2002, he was granted $24,012.70 in legal aid.
He was also charged with assaulting another inmate with intent to injure by throwing boiling water over him and punching him in the head.
Reid was acquitted of those charges in 2003, but the following year had a six-month sentence imposed for threatening to kill and a three-month concurrent sentence imposed for mailing a threatening letter.
In 2005, he attempted to sue the Department of Corrections for $40,000 after a prison guard cuffed him around the head in 2004 when he verbally abused him, but failed.
Over those two years, Reid was granted $2995.25 in legal aid.
In 2007, he was sentenced to community work and nine months' supervision for, among other charges, preparing to commit a crime. That year, he was granted $3189.80 in legal aid.
In 2009, following his 2008 conviction, Reid appealed both his conviction and sentence. That year, he was granted $14,785.24 in legal aid.
In 2012, a second appeal was lodged, though dismissed. Figures for legal aid relating to that appeal had not yet been finalised.
Reid's victim received financial assistance from ACC until she was able to return to work, while the police refunded her for items of clothing taken as evidence for the trial and for items which Reid stole from her.
The police also paid for her flights and accommodation to attend the trial and she believed the assistance provided her was "sufficient".
"What does make me angry, though, is the huge amount of legal costs that are created due to the ongoing support and opportunities given to some of New Zealand's most horrendous criminals."
Professor of criminal at the University of Otago Kevin Dawkins said "as taxpayers, most people shrink at the idea of having these people paid" but legal aid was "an established part of the criminal justice system", as was the right to a fair trial and the right to defend oneself.
"Society must accept a certain cost, though recent reforms are intended to control escalating costs."
Liam Reid's legal aid bill
2001 $600.00
2002 $24,012.70
2003 $5950.40
2004 $2413.25
2005 $582.00
2006 nil
2007 $3189.80
2008 $207,803.13
2009 $14,785.24
Total $259,336.52
- These figures represent the amount paid to Reid's lawyers in each calendar year and do not necessarily represent the dates on which work was carried out.
- Other than lawyer's time, legal aid grants can include costs for DNA and blood testing, forensic expenses, court filing fees, witnesses, investigators, travel expenses, general office expenses, agents' fees and specialist reports.
- Legal aid is paid for the defence and is not paid directly to the defendant.
Source: Ministry of Justice
