By Adam Ray
Two teenage girls have been found guilty of murder by beating a 78-year-old Opotiki man to death with his own walking sticks.
One of them, Lori-Lee Wairoa Te Wini is the youngest female murderer, bar one, in New Zealand history.
Both denied the charge, but the jury did not take long to disbelieve them.
John Rowe’s family say Courtney Churchward and Te Hini's young ages make it even harder to comprehend the violence they meted out.
Mr Rowe's son, Patrick, says he finds it hard to understand.
“There is no sensibility behind it for me.”
The two girls attacked Mr Rowe with wooden sticks after they found him in his bed last November, hitting him more than 20 times.
The Rowes say they are satisfied with today's verdict, coming exactly one year since their father was killed. They say their dad was an independent man enjoying his retirement years.
The girls' families sat quietly in court as the verdicts were passed. Outside, one of them said they were shocked, but their sympathies still lay with the Rowes.
“Just want to pass on our condolences, sorry for the actions of our children,” a man only known to 3 News as 'Uncle Keith' said.
The prosecution says the girls' ages made it a challenging and unusual case for the jury.
Te Hini and Churchward will return to court next month to be sentenced.
The Rowes say it will be a long time before they have recovered from the pain of their father's death.
Te Wini's youth is part of what is a growing violent crime wave that shows up in the latest national statistics.
The country's top youth judge says communities must do more to step in and bring help sooner.
3 News