Killer has abuse and mind-sex delusions

By CLIO FRANCIS - Stuff

Last updated 08:47 20/07/2010

An insane man beat his stepfather to death because he believed he had been molesting his daughter using the powers of his mind, a court was told.

The attack was seen by the killer's seven-year-old daughter and his elderly grandmother who tried to stop him by hitting him with a steel pole.

Stephen Ahuvale, 31, was found not guilty yesterday of the murder of James Toafolia, 60, by way of insanity.

The victim's widow said she was angry at her son but had forgiven him so "I can be free of what ugly and evil behaviour he did to my husband".

Yesterday, in the High Court at Auckland, Justice Raynor Asher said Ahuvale had been living with his family in Mt Albert.

About 5am on September 7, 2008, Ahuvale attacked his stepfather, stomping, kicking and punching him in the face, neck and chest. Ahuvale's daughter told police she had seen her father beating up "granddad James", Crown prosecutor John Dixon told the court.

Ahuvale's grandmother, Sifa Ahuvale, 73, who has died since, told police she was woken by Mr Toafolia calling out, "help me nana, help me nana." She walked into the hallway and saw Ahuvale standing over Mr Toafolia.

"She then took a steel pole from a free-standing wardrobe frame and struck the accused with it in an attempt to stop the accused." But he did not stop and the grandmother, overcome by distress, ran to her bedroom.

Later, Ahuvale, covered in blood, kissed his grandmother and daughter on the forehead before leaving the house.

When Ahuvale's mother, Michelle Toafolia, came home at 6am she found her husband dead. Ahuvale was found wandering on railway tracks in Pukekohe.

Psychiatrist David Chaplow said Ahuvale had told him Mr Toafolia entered his life when he was aged 22.

In recent years he came to believe Mr Toafolia was sexually abusing his daughter and having sexual contact with his grandmother through the powers of his mind.

"He came to believe that people could have certain powers and they could have sexual relations with other people through their mind even though they had their clothes on."

Justice Asher ordered him to be held in a hospital as a special patient, as there was a risk of "another terrible act of violence".

MOTHER SPEAKS

''Since my husband passed away I have felt very lonely, sad, hurt, angry and not happy.

''This is because of what my son did. My son took my husband's life away from me. This has been an awful, evil and unforgivable behaviour from my son towards my loving husband.''

Mrs Toafolia said she had initially not been able to visit her son in prison but now saw him once a month.

''I want to be there with my son but at the same time I don't want to be with him.

''Sometimes I feel that my son should be locked up and the key thrown away but as a mother I still love him.

''I forgive him so I can be free of what ugly and evil behaviour he did to my husband.

''I am so lucky to have faith in God, it has helped me deal with my grief.

''I still feel he [my husband] is still very much with me, he will always be in my heart for ever and ever.

''I have a beautiful memories of time we had shared together.

''I love my husband with all my heart and I also love my son and I feel I am stuck in the middle.

''I know deep down that my husband will forgive my son because I know my husband is a forgiving man.

''Every day has been very difficult to deal with this.

''[Sometimes] I feel that I want to be with him but I stop and think because my husband taught me to be strong.''

From: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3934440/Killer-has-abuse-and-mind-sex-delusions