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Offender Databases Blair Williams

Blair Murray Antony Williams

Alias

.

Offences

Killing of his seven month old stepdaughter in late November 2004
Also has previous convictions for burglary, theft and miscellaneous cannabis offences

Victims

Kathleen Harris

Offender Affiliations

Tracee Harris

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1972

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to a minimum 17 year term in February 2006
Due for a parole hearing November 2021

Background
NZ Herald story here
From the Dominion Post December 10th 2005
Blair Williams blamed his partner for the fatal injuries that her baby suffered, but a Wellington jury last night said he was the killer. After a 13-hour deliberation in the High Court the nine women and three men found Williams, 33, guilty of murder. Williams is likely to face a minimum 17-year jail term for the killing of seven-month-old Kathleen Harris, whose already dead, badly bruised body was taken to an Otaki medical centre on November 27, last year.

Justice Forrest Miller remanded Williams for sentencing on February 24. Kathleen's father, Jerone Ngaronoa, was in court for the verdict at 11pm and said later he was relieved at the jury's decision but was looking forward to having the sentencing over too. Tracee Harris is serving a seven-year jail term for manslaughter, on the basis that she had failed to get medical care for her battered daughter. Kathleen's skull was fractured, and she had two broken arms and internal injuries. She had landed so heavily on a textured fabric that it was imprinted on her forehead.

At the start of his trial last week Williams, who had been in a relationship with Harris in Upper Hutt for just weeks before Kathleen's death, pleaded guilty to failing to provide the necessaries of life so that her life was endangered. Harris, who was not a witness at Williams trial, was said to have been a compulsive liar. Williams turned out to be no better. Immediately after Kathleen's death he admitted being responsible for her injuries. A year later in court he said Harris was the killer and he had been trying to protect her.

After the verdict, Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Cotter said the pair were basically as bad as each other when it came to lying. "They were a bad combination to have together," he said. "He's a prolific liar about all sorts of things and he's let his family down badly," Mr Cotter said. Williams is understood to have had a long history of abusing various drugs, cannabis most heavily. He has convictions for theft, burglary and cannabis possession, but not for violent crimes

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Corrections and Additional Information
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