Australian man Lionel Patea has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his former partner, Tara Brown, after unexpectedly pleading guilty to the charge.
Mum-of-one Brown, 24, was born and raised in Auckland and moved to the Gold Coast with her family as a teenager.
She and Patea started dating in 2011, and had their first child together in 2012.
On Monday, a Gold Coast court heard horrific details surrounding the 2015 murder. Patea ran her off the road before bashing her in the head with a fire hydrant lid.
Witnesses first thought he was trying to rescue the young mum, helping him to reach her before he started smashing her skull.
They tried to stop him but the former bikie fought them off.
Brown had managed to call emergency services on Triple 0 before she was ran off the road and the operators were helpless to do anything as she was brutally bashed.
The court was told sixteen thumping sounds could be heard and then another 13 more as he smashed her with a 7.8kg slab of metal causing “non-survivable” brain injuries.
Tara had just dropped her daughter off at day care before the attack took place.
Tara’s mother blasted Patea as a ‘monster’ and a ‘misogynistic narcissist’ as she spoke about the impact of the murder.
She also spoke of how Brown’s daughter now kisses a picture of her mum on her pillow every night before bed.
In court, many people had a white ribbon pinned to their clothes, campaigning to end men’s violence against women.
Brown had left Patea – telling her employer about the domestic abuse she was suffering, and moving to a safe house – less than a week before she was killed.
Patea had been expected to stand trial for one week in the Brisbane Supreme Court but changed his plea.
If you or someone you know could be at risk, call Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843
