Woman found guilty of Valentine's Day murder

A Whanganui woman has been found guilty of the murder on Valentine's Day last year of a neighbour she believed was "coming on" to her partner.

It took a jury in the High Court at Whanganui a little over three hours to find Ana Andrea Hemara guilty of murdering Heather Rose Simons, The Wanganui Chronicle reported.

Hemara was last week remanded in custody for sentencing in the High Court at Wellington on March 12.

She had denied murder but admitted the manslaughter of Ms Simons on February 14 last year.

Hemara had invited Ms Simons to her home for a drink after noticing her hanging out washing.

But the neighbourly gesture turned horribly wrong when Hemara took offence at what she described as Ms Simons "coming on to her partner".

The prosecution said Hemara pulled cerebral palsy sufferer Ms Simons from her chair and repeatedly punched her head, and stomped on her back and head with her bare feet.

Hemara's counsel Stephen Ross said his client was guilty of manslaughter, not murder.

Her assault was fuelled by jealousy while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, he said.

- NZPA