Wellington, Sept 15 NZPA - Clayton Weatherston's lack of remorse for the shocking murder of his ex-girlfriend was reflected in the judge's comments at his sentencing today, Women's Refuge says.

Weatherston, 33, was today sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years for the slaying of Sophie Elliott, who was stabbed 216 times in the bedroom of her Dunedin home on January 9 last year. Sentencing him at the High Court in Christchurch, Justice Judith Potter said Weatherston's crime had an impact on the whole of the New Zealand community.

"Sophie Elliott's death was a tragedy in every sense of the word," she said.

She noted medical evidence that excess medication taken by Weatherston would have played a part, leading to decreased sleep and irritability. There was no evidence of major mental illness.

She seriously doubted that his personality disorder contributed to diminished intellectual capacity at the time of the offending, but it may have contributed to a diminished understanding of the crime.

National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges chief executive Heather Henare said Justice Potter's comments sent a message that violence was unacceptable and inexcusable.

"In this trial, we saw the defendant on the stand and we all saw, as the jury did, that he felt justified in his actions and sought to blame his victim," Ms Henare said.

"No sentence could ever return Sophie Elliott to her family, but we do we feel the Judge's statements go some way towards acknowledging their loss."

Ms Henare said Justice Potter's dismissal of Weatherston's defence argument on the grounds of his mental condition was particularly heartening.

"Weatherston's tactics and refusal to take responsibility for his actions were not unusual, but were a classic example of the justifications used by perpetrators of violence every day," she said.

"Of course, this was a particularly horrific killing, but what was really unusual about this case was that Clayton Weatherston took the stand. The jury, and indeed the whole country, witnessed his self-righteous lack of remorse."

Ms Henare said on average, 14 women were killed every year at the hands of their partners, or ex-partners .

"We cannot let this go on. It is time to really invest in change. New Zealand just cannot afford the social and economic cost of domestic violence any more," she said.

"As a country, we must recognise the urgency of this issue and strive for the elimination of violence towards our women, our children and our families."

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