Rebecca Wright-Meldrum and David Hawken will spend a minimum of 10 years behind bars over the murder of Christchurch mother Angela Blackmoore almost three decades ago.
The 21-year-old mother was nine weeks pregnant when she was brutally murdered by a hitman hired by the pair.
On Friday, the judge sentenced the pair to a life sentence with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.
Wright-Meldrum and Hawken were found guilty of Blackmoore's murder in December after a five-week jury trial at the High Court in Christchurch.
A third person, Jeremy Powell, was convicted in 2020 after confessing to carrying out the murder in which he implicated the two accused. Powell said he was hired as a hit man and offered $10,000 for the killing Blackmoore.
Powell alleged he had been helped by his then-girlfriend Wright-Meldrum and was ordered to kill Blackmoore by Hawken, a former debt collector who wanted to receive financial benefit from her property.
Crown prosecutors alleged Hawken tried to take over property co-owned between the victim and her ex-husband.
For almost three decades, Hawken and Wright-Meldrum escaped accountability over the murder of Blackmoore, who was pregnant at the time of her death.
On the night of August 17, 1995, Powell visited Blackmoore, who let them into her home because they were friends. What she didn't know is Powell was armed with a bat and a large knife and had an order to kill her.
That night, Blackmoore suffered 39 wounds to her head, neck, chest, abdomen and limbs, while her 2-year-old son Dillon was asleep in the next room.
Now an adult, Dillon said he has grown up feeling "isolated" and "confused".
"This whole event [has] taken away from me the chance of a normal, balanced life," an impact statement by Dillon said, which was read in court.
"I will never blame my extended family for this… I blame the events that stole my chance of a normal family structure."
He wished to know his younger unborn brother, who was also killed during Blackmoore's murder.
"To know that it was stolen from me was by far the most grief… alongside [my mother's death]," he said.
Blackmoore's partner Laurie Anderson too spoke at sentencing about his despair his future child was taken from him in the murder.
Anderson came home from work that night to find Blackmoore's body. He spoke at sentencing about the guilt he feels for not being home to protect her.
He said Blackmoore was planning for their future and arrival of the new baby when she was murdered.
"If it wasn't for you, Angela would be happy and getting on with her new life," Anderson told Hawken who watched him from the dock as he gave his victim impact statement.
Anderson said Blackmoore had turned her life around and was focused on being a good mum and partner.
"She would have been so proud to see what he had achieved with his life," he said of Dillon.
Anderson said he had found his "dream woman".
"We did everything together… thinking we had forever," he said.
"I will always miss her."
Two of Blackmoore's cousins, Jillian Purvis and Leanne Keen, and Anderson's niece Stacey Brosnan, spoke about the lack of remorse the pair showed throughout the trial.
They were disgusted at how the two murderers would shake their heads, both laugh and smile "as if [they've] got away with it".
"Rot in hell the pair of you. The pain, anger and stress you have both put us through has been hard to deal with," Keen said.
"Angie's life was worth more than any amount of money… You both destroyed a young mum to be," Purvis said.
"Evil scumbags… I hope like hell you receive the sentence you deserve," Brosnan said.
Wright-Meldrum and Hawken's lawyers submitted for a life sentence with a minimum no parole period of 10 years, which they said was the standard in 1995, when the murder took place. The Crown asked for 11 to 12 years.
When deciding Hawken and Wright-Meldrum's sentence, Justice Rachel Dunningham considered whether a minimum or more than 10 years no parole period was justified.
The murder involved significant premeditation, was carried out in a brutal manner where the victim was vulnerable and there was a breach in trust. The pair have also showed no remorse, maintaining their innocence.
The defence lawyers argued there were no execptional circumstances warranting a higher non-parole period. Justice Dunningham agreed, adding there were some mitigating factors and settled on a minimum non parole period of 10 years.
Outside of court, Anderson said the 10 year minimum was a "bit disappointing", the judge made it clear that was the minimum.
"I intend to be at every parole hearing they get to make sure I can get it up to the maximum to 17 years," he told media.
"I don't go away, I'm going to haunt them for the rest of the time they're serving their time."
