Christie Marceau's parents have given evidence at the Auckland District Court in the inquest into her death today.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Ms Marceau was 18 when she was stabbed by Akshay Anand Chand in her home in 2011.
Chand was on bail facing charges of kidnapping and threatening to rape Ms Marceau when he killed her.
The inquest has heard that Chand waited a month on bail before stabbing Ms Marceau to death at her family home in Auckland, because he thought she would be on guard before then.
Police had opposed bail, fearing Chand might reoffend.
Ms Marceau's mother Tracey Marceau said at the inquest she does not use the name of her daughter's killer.
She broke down as she read her brief of evidence at the inquest, telling the Coroner that Chand's family home was visible across the gully from the Marceaus' deck.
Mrs Marceau said her family had been told by police they were confident Chand would not get bail.
She said she was horrified by the decision to release him on bail but was told by a victim's advisor and a police officer that the decision could not be appealed.
Christie's father Brian Marceau said he was often out of the country on business, and asked a police officer if he should remain in New Zealand after Chand got bail for the kidnapping.
Mr Marceau said he raised concerns with the police when Chand was given bail, and was assured they were making frequent checks on him.
Detective Sergeant James Watson, the police officer in charge of the inquiry, said Chand admitted to police that he wrote a sappy apology letter to the District Court in order to get out on bail and murder the Auckland teenager.
He said Chand told police after the killing he had devised a plan to get bail while on remand, including writing what Chand called a phoney letter to the court.
Chand was found not guilty of the murder by reason of insanity and has been detained indefinitely in a special mental health unit.
The inquest at the Auckland District Court is set down for two weeks.