A New Zealand man convicted of the murder of a police officer on his way to work nearly a decade ago was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Tuesday.
Warren Leslie Jones, 53, who had previously denied the 2013 killing of Detective Senior Constable Paul Sutton, told the court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday that “I will never ever forgive you” for his crime.
Judge John Wesley told Jones he will never be released.
Jones’ statement came shortly after he stood to address Sutton’s family. He said he “deeply regrets” shooting Sutton, the New Zealand Herald reported.
“Even though I do not forgive you, I do sincerely wish you peace,” Jones said in a moment of remorse, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Sutton’s father, Dave Sutton, said he was “very sorry” for what his son had gone through, though he added Jones’ words were meaningless, according to the New Zealand Herald.
“He’s forgotten what he said,” Dave Sutton said in a statement read to the court by prosecutor Drew Bower. “He said he was sorry, he has. He is going to lose his house, and he’s going to be on the street for ever. The only consequence for this is that he gets a lot of time to have his hangover for the rest of his life.”
Jones was convicted of first-degree murder in 2015, the Herald reported. The judge handed down his sentence in the absence of Jones, who has not been in court.
Police charged Jones in September 2013 after finding Sutton’s body near the Clyde Mountains.
Sutton was found shot while driving on his way to work. He was investigating a suspected carjacking at the time.