A man who raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend before setting her house on fire has been sentenced to life in prison.
Steven Ellis, 30, who was found guilty of rape and murder at his trial in November, was handed a minimum non-parole period of 19 years at his sentencing in the High Court at Auckland today.
His trial was told Ellis was obsessed with Jacqueline Blackbourn. He had a picture of her on his phone that he would kiss every morning and night. Two months after the relationship ended he was desperate to find out if Ms Blackbourn still cared for him.
The Crown said Ellis took a knife from his kitchen drawer and drove to Ms Blackbourn's Glenfield home in June last year.
He grabbed her by the throat and raped her on her bed before he stabbed her twice.
Crown prosecutor Steve Haszard said today that Ellis went into Ms Blackbourn's home without her permission
"There was a combination and a powerful combination of the rape and the subsequent burning of Ms Blackbourn that lifts this into the exceptional category.''
He said Ellis' attack on Ms Blackbourn shared a number of similarities with Clayton Weatherston's murder of Sophie Elliott, including Ellis being in the house illegally, Ms Blackbourn was his former girlfriend and he went to the house with the intention of killing.
Weatherston murdered his ex-girlfriend by going to her home with a knife and stabbing and cutting her over 200 times. He was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years in prison.
Ellis' lawyer John Anderson said there was evidence his client had suffered from depression and that should be taken into account at sentencing.
Justice Patricia Courtney said she did not accept Ellis' evidence that he was invited into the house and had consensual sex with Ms Blackbourn.
"Your evidence shows a shocking arrogance and a complete refusal to take responsibility for your actions.''
She said she found Ellis' case was comparable to Weatherston's although the "actual violence'' in Weatherston was worse.
Justice Courtney said Ellis' murder was a "truly appalling'' crime.
