Grandmother who lured her granddaughter, 13, into a bedroom and strangled her to death after a row over her phone and computer is jailed - but could be freed in six years
- New Zealand grandmother who strangled granddaughter sentenced to 12 years
- Kalis Smith, 13, was killed after arguments over teen's phone and computer use
- Her grandmother Lorraine Smith, 59, strangled her with necktie the court heard
A grandmother who strangled her 13-year-old granddaughter with a necktie after she lured her into a bedroom has been jailed but could be let out in just six years.
Lorraine Smith, 59, was sentenced in the High Court in Wellington in New Zealand on Wednesday but Justice Francis Cooke spared her from a life sentence - instead giving her a 12-year jail term.
She will be eligible for parole in just six years, according to Stuff.
During the trail, the court heard Smith and her granddaughter, Kalis Smith, had a series of arguments over the teenager's phone and computer use.
During the trail, the court heard Smith and her granddaughter, Kalis Smith, had a series of arguments over the teenager's phone and computer use
'She said she'd had enough of the arguing and the victim's attitude, and wanted everything to stop,' police said.
Justice Francis Cooke said the crime had an element of premeditation as Smith decided to carry out the crime in a bedroom detached from the main house so that Kails' brother could not witness it.
The police summary said there had been a series of arguments again during the early evening on the night of the crime.
When Smith tried to take the electronic devices off Kalis she threatened to run away.
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According to the summary, during the evening Kalis was heard to say, 'Let go of me, stop pushing me down, I can't breathe, I can't breathe'.
Smith replied, 'You want to die anyway, don't you?'.
Sometime later Smith asked Kalis to help her close windows in the deatched bedroom and grabbed a neck tie as they left the house.
Kalis was wearing the hood up on her sweatshirt, and from behind Smith pulled it over her face and then to the side, wrapped the tie around Kalis' neck and held it as tight as she could.
The defence lawyer for Smith said she had had a difficult life and had made a lot of sacrifices to look after her children and grandchildren who suffered various mental illnesses and disabilities.
The prosecution said that while there was room for mercy the court must not lose sight of the fact a 13-year-old girl had lost her life in circumstances that would have been terrifying.
The sentence will be referred to Crown Law for review, as is usual when a sentence less than life imprisonment is imposed for murder.
When Smith tried to take the electronic devices off Kalis she threatened to run away
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