running damages claim against her killer comes to an end
The New Zealand Supreme Court has ruled against the family of murder victim Colleen Burrows, ending their long-standing legal battle to claim damages from one of her killers. The court determined that the family could not claim compensation for mental injury under the specific statutes cited.
Why it matters
This case highlights the complexities of victim compensation laws and the legal limitations in seeking financial justice from convicted offenders.
The late Ida Hawkins, with a photo of her daughter Colleen Burrows, 16, who was murdered in 1987. Photo / NZME
Thirty-nine years after teenager Colleen Burrows’ murder, a legal fight between her family and one of her killers over a $15,000 damages claim has ended.
The victor is Sam Te Hei – one of two men who killed the 16-year-old.
Te Hei gets to keep money rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/colleen-burrows-mother-and-murderer-sam-te-hei-dispute-15000-payout/ZBVW2XSO5VCAVP2U2TMPXKTEQE/">awarded to him as compensation for his ill-treatment in prison.
A Supreme Court decision released today marks the end of the family’s claim to the money, pursued out of what the court acknowledged was a “sense of justice”.
The case was first brought by Colleen’s mother Ida Hawkins in November 2020, and continued after her 2024 death.
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