The Monster of Mangatiti Page #5

sense. It was like I'd been released

from a mental prison.

This was the turning point that gave

me the strength to believe I could

plan an escape and really do it.

I stole one of his cheques, and

I folded it up really small, and I

unpicked some stitching in my bra,

um, and I tucked it in there,

um, and cos I thought, well,

because I knew he'd been searching

through my stuff and going,

I thought he wouldn't,

he'll never find it,

and it'll always be on me.

- Nine and a half.

- Good.

So I made sure I was getting fitter,

um, that I was getting stronger,

and that instead of feeling

diminished every day,

it was more of a strengthening

exercise that was helping me prepare

for that opportunity to escape.

We're going up bush to do some work.

Cooked meal when we get back, bout

midday, OK?

Benn, come and help me

saddle the horses, boy.

Have that feed ready -

three or four hours.

I went round the back of the truck

and there was a... a pig on the

back, tied up, and I thought,

'I can't drive the truck into town,

because the pig might be on the

back, like, overnight,

'and that's really cruel, and I

can't do that to the pig', which

is pretty silly really.

So I went and got his son, and I

said, 'Oh, can you please take the pig off?

'I'm gonna go and get firewood'.

We've got firewood.

Why do we need more?

I just... I...

I thought I'd be helpful.

So, can I come with you, then?

No. No, no. I... I... I... need you

to stay here and keep an eye on this

pig until your dad comes home. OK?

OK.

Good.

Good.

You're a good boy, Benn.

It was just devastating

cos he was waving goodbye,

and I knew I wasn't coming back

and I was abandoning him in that

environment, and, yeah,

it was horrible.

I carried that guilt

for most of my life.

I stopped and closed every gate I went

through, um, cos every time, I just thought,

'Well, OK, I've just gotta have a

backup plan in case he catches me

that I can talk my way out of it,

'so if I do things that don't look

like I'm escaping, you know, maybe

I can save my life.'

Where's the bloody car?

Where is she? She's gone.

She's locked the bloody keys in.

Jemmy the bloody window.

So I drove into town, and I left the

truck there and with the keys on the

table with a note saying,

'Please take this down

tomorrow,' thinking,

'Oh well, I'm still covering

myself in case I get caught.'

I went to the post office,

and I drew some money out.

Thank you. Um, could you please

tell me when the next bus leaves?

There aren't any today.

You might get a taxi from Ohakune.

Oh. Thank you.

I can't help you, love,

I've got a pickup.

Yeah, for Ohakune. It's me. I'm the one who

called. I thought I'd run out and meet you.

Now, I need to make it to

the Ohakune bus station.

No buses from there today, love.

Uh, look, we might make the one

from Waiouru, though.

Oh, that... that's... that's

good. That's fine. Let's go.

She's f***ing dead!

Then I got too scared to go to the bus

station, so I actually jumped off at, um,

a place called Te Manga Junction,

which is where the road would intersect

that you'd either go down to the

Mount or turn off to Tauranga.

And I ran from there, down through

the back streets in the dark, sort

of, halfway down towards the Mount,

and, um, went to my boyfriend's place.

And I think I got there at 10.30 at night.

Freddie.

I stayed, um, at my boyfriend's

for a few days, but I was just

terrified, I couldn't sleep.

Every time I heard a... a vehicle,

I was... yeah, I was just a wreck.

I never went into any detail.

I didn't know how to tell anybody.

On the one hand, I didn't think

anyone would believe me, and then,

there was the fear of

what might happen to them.

I was still in survival mode,

so I didn't trust anybody, nobody.

No. I'm fine, Mum.

He'd always said, you know,

'No one's gonna believe you. I'll

just get you. I'll kill everyone.'

And I just thought, you know, 'He's

just gonna turn up here, and he's

gonna put me in his truck, and...

'and I'll be back there,

and I'll never get out.'

It's Heather, isn't it?

I need your help.

It's lies. It was all lies, and you

knew that. How did you find me?

I understand why you wrote it, why

you signed it, but you can speak

up in court now,

tell them how he intimidated you.

This is the last custody hearing.

This is the future of my children!

How did you find me?

It wasn't that hard. There's not

many Petries in Tauranga, so...

Oh God. I didn't scare your

parents, I promise.

I spoke to your Mum, told her I was

an old friend from school. She told

me you were here, so I...

This... This is our place!

And you've brought this here?

I need your help.

He'll... He'll know where I am.

He'll know. He'll find out.

There are others too, you

know. There'll be more.

I can't help you.

I'm sorry.

I won't help you.

So can you please leave?

Benn sent his love.

I might've escaped from the valley, but I

couldn't escape my fear of Bill Cornelius.

It would take 23 years, but in 2008 I found

the courage to tell my story.

I had been having some counselling,

but again, I'd... I'd never spoken

about what had happened.

Even at counselling, I just... I

just couldn't go there. And I really

felt like I was starting to unravel.

So, why now, after all this time?

I spent my life living in fear,...

hiding, suffering post-traumatic

stress,...

for over 20 years.

Still, I managed to move on.

I married Freddie in 1987.

We had six children.

You just push on, huh?

You just carry on with life.

And I felt safe.

Until Freddie passed

away suddenly...

in 1998.

My oldest was 10 and a half,

and my youngest was 1 and a half.

It just came rushing back up, and so,

for a while, I couldn't understand -

'Why am I thinking about that? That

happened a long time ago, like, that

doesn't... it's not relevant.

'I don't understand.' Um, but it was

because I didn't feel safe any more,

and I still believed he could get

me. Um, so that had never left.

It had... It had just

been put in remission.

I've spent a lot of my adult life,

especially after my husband died,

in a kind of hiding,

keeping very isolated,

keeping off the grid.

For a lot of my life I've felt

a huge guilt for all the other victims,...

because I know there were victims

before me and I know there were

victims after me,

and because I didn't speak up,

I felt responsible. I felt guilty.

You've got no reason to feel guilty.

You've come forward now, and that -

that's a brave thing to do.

Yeah. Well, I thought if...

if I do this, you know,...

maybe this'll stop, maybe I'll stop having

the panic attacks, maybe I'll be better.

When I laid my complaint

in September 2008,

the police investigation led to

seven other known victims, three

of whom made formal complaints.

I was told then it would be 18

months to two years to get to court.

Going through the court process

for four years nearly took my life.

The intensity and... and the length of time

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