Tony Veitch's wife's submission

JOHN SELKIRK/ The Dominion Post

STAND BY YOUR MAN: Tony Veitch's wife Zoe Halford- pictured with Veitch in July last year- made a submission to Judge Jan Doogue before her husband's sentencing yesterday.

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The submission to Judge Jan Doogue from Tony Veitch's wife, Zoe Halford.

Before I begin this letter, I would like to point out my husband has no idea I have approached you, or the detail that follows. I passed this on to Stuart Grieve as I think it is important for you to understand who my husband it, and how he has only just survived some incredibly dark days over the past nine months.

As his wife, I am incredibly proud of the way Tony has handled himself during this "public frenzy". He has struck true to his word, and he's been totally homest wto everyone close in his life.

I still remember the day, very early in our relationship, when Tony built up the courage to tell me about what had happened with his former partner on January 29, 2006. I could see he was tense, and I knew he was upset. But he told me everything, in his typical upfront, accountable style. There was no glossing over the facts. He was remorseful, and he had done all he could to make things right.

To this day, Tony's account of that night has never wavered. Not once. Not to my parents, our lawyers, his employers, and his counsellors. I was with him during a number of his counselling sessions as he tried to come to terms with how he could be driven to such a devastating point. Tony found those sessions incredibly difficult, but in the end they were fundamental for us to build a rock solid platform for marriage, and children in the near future.

I also need you to appreciate what Tony has been through since this story broke so publically in July last year. While the media have reported two occasions of attempts to take his life, I can recount at least seven times when Tony had lost all hope to live. You cannot imagine a wife's fear coming home and finding your husband missing and out of contact. I am so relieved we managed to keep him with us during those dark times.

Your honour, when considering your sentence, I would like you to understand what Tony has already suffered. He has effectively been under home detention for nine months. For weeks he could not leave our Lawrence St home because of media following his every move. Then came the depression and Tony did not have the desire nor the will to leave the bedroom.

He was so scared to face the public, even face his friends, I ended up quitting my fulltime job just to be with him. His best friends from Australia took turns to fly over and stay with him. His mother and step-father have also come over from Australia to live with us and help keep Tony safe. This is how life has been for us, and for what? One mistake, on one night. His life has been taken away from him in so many ways. Home detention in my opinion would be the worst possible sentence you could hand down for someone who is trying so hard to get his life and will to live back.

- © Fairfax NZ News