The man who attacked an Auckland woman out for a morning walk with brutal and bloody force and murdered her has been jailed for at least 19 years.
Police in September 2021 called Shamal Sharma’s killing of Lena Zhang Harrap senseless.
Today, the judge sentencing him called it appalling, depraved and sadistic.
Lena had Down Syndrome and impaired vision but was known for her independence.
A member of the public found her body off a popular walkway in Mt Albert shortly after a missing persons case was launched.
Today her killer was jailed for at least 19 years. (Source: 1News)
A court was told today she had 13 separate injuries to her head and face and was sexually violated with such force she had interior wounds.
She also was hurt enough for brain injuries to be caused.
Sharma would put one or more objects in her mouth and bite her body hard enough to cause lacerations.
He attacked her for two hours.
He would later say in a medical assessment he “didn’t mean to do all of those things” and it was “too late to turn back” and he “had to finish the job”.
Sharma also spoke of being possessed by a demon.
The public gallery at the High Court in Auckland today was full while further people still sat in a neighbouring courtroom watching on monitors.
Justice Wylie told them he regretted the circumstances under which they were in court.
Reading a victim impact statement, Lena’s father Martin Harrap said Sharma had treated his daughter like she was rubbish.
“How could he value human life so cheaply?” he asked.
He told the court he wonders when Lena realised she was in danger and how long she was conscious before she died, and that it was torture to think about.
“She spent her last hours of life with the worst of humanity.”
Martin Harrap said Lena was caring, funny and clever; a beautiful dancer and wonderful daughter who strongly knew right from wrong.
“I’m disgusted by the thought of what Shamal Sharma did to Lena,” he said.
Her mother, Su Harrap, walked to face Sharma directly as she told him he was indifferent to her fear and that he stole her last breath.
“You took her purity and innocence, taking her with you to the very depths of hell.”
Her aunt also stared at Sharma directly during her victim impact statement.
“You killed her and discarded her as if she was nothing, she was everything.”
Sharma did not look back at any of Lena’s family as they spoke.
Family chose to leave the courtroom when it was known Lena’s injuries and her last two hours of life were about to be discussed.
The court also heard that before he attacked and killed Lena, Sharma’s target was another woman who thought she was about to be killed.
She was watched, followed and then driven toward while on a footpath.
The woman told court she was followed for a significant time and that after she was driven at, she ran faster than she had ever run before.
Later she would see a news story that a woman had been killed, with the report featuring the same numberplate.
Crown lawyers said Sharma has schizophrenia but that an insanity defence was not available to him because he was not in psychosis.
Lena’s walk “simply placed her in the path of Mr Sharma that morning,” they said.
His lawyer told the court he’d been asked to convey a sincere apology.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 19 years and six months for murder.
He received 11 years and three months for sexual violation, with a minimum non-parole period of 7 years four months.
His sentence for dangerous driving was two months.
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