Two guilty of intellectually disabled woman's death

The sister of an intellectually impaired woman who was repeatedly beaten by two south Auckland caregivers then left without medical help until she died several days later, says she still has many unanswered questions.

Joseph Proude, 47, and Here Teinakirai, 53, were both found guilty today of the manslaughter of Patricia Joseph, whose body was found floating in the Wairoa River near Clevedon, south of Auckland, by kayakers on January 20, 2008.

Ms Joseph's elder sister Debbie told NZPA outside the High Court at Auckland that it was the outcome she expected.

"It's really overwhelming. The trial has been very stressful and I still have unanswered questions," she said. "I just wanted to know what happened and how it was going to come out."

She had had no contact with Proude and Teinakirai when they were her sister's caregivers, saying "I don't even know them."

She did not want to comment about how the pair came to be in charge of her sister's care.

"There's a few things I'm still dealing with so I don't want to comment on that."

She confirmed that her sister has a 10-year-old daughter, now in the care of her grandmother.

She said her niece understood what happened to her mother, but not how it happened.

"It was awful to sit through the case and hear all the allegations in detail. I think my sister has been let down through the system. I blame myself first, and the system follows."

She confirmed she would be at the sentencing, but had not yet thought of what she wanted to say to Proude and Teinakirai.

"I've thought of many things, but I will be preparing a victim impact statement with the rest of my family."

She thought Proude and Teinakirai should have been charged with murder, rather than manslaughter.

Teinakirai was also found guilty of a second manslaughter charge by omitting to seek medical care for Ms Joseph, and of offering an indignity to Ms Joseph's body, which was wrapped in pieces of cloth, weighed down with a rock and put into the river. Proude had previously admitted both of those charges.

Proude was also found guilty of five charges of assault on Ms Joseph and one charge of assault, using a dog as a weapon.

Teinakirai was found guilty of six charges of assault on Ms Joseph, three charges of assault with intent to injure and two charges of assault with a weapon, using a stick and a hose.

The assault charges dated from October 2006, when they took over Ms Joseph's care.

Proude and Teinakirai were remanded in custody for sentencing in the High Court at Auckland on May 25.

The jury of seven men and five women spent almost seven hours deliberating after Justice Pamela Andrews summed the case up yesterday morning.

Outside court, Detective Inspector Mark Gutry told NZPA this was another step in the process.

"It's been a long time since Patricia Joseph's body was found. Today offers her back some dignity.

"It's a long process and a lot of slow and painstaking work goes into it which was presented in court. So we're certainly pleased with the guilty verdicts," Mr Gutry said.

Shane Tait, defending Teinakirai, said the jury had obviously given the case a lot of thought.

"They've been out for an entire day. It's too early at this stage to say whether or not the accused accepts the verdicts. It's just a matter now of moving on and concentrating on the sentencing process."

The Crown had told the court the victim was assaulted about January 1, 2008 and left on the bathroom floor until January 13, when her body was taken to the Wairoa River.

Lawyers for Proude and Teinakirai argued there was not enough evidence to prove the guilt of their clients.

- NZPA