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Antonie Dixon - Source: ONE News -
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Lawyer Barry Hart is still defending one of New Zealand's most
notorious killers who was found dead in prison, apparently by his
own hand.
Antonie Dixon was given a life sentence after a deadly P-fuelled
rampage in 2005.
On Wednesday night, he died in his cell at Auckland's high-security
Paremaremo Prison.
Hart defended Dixon trough two trials and is still doing so,
questioning how his apparent suicide could have happened and
blaming the prison.
"They have certain facilities at Pare (Paremaremo) that should have been adequate for someone in the position that he was, but the system has completely let him down," says Hart.
Dixon's uncle, Chris Wheeler, is also questioning how his nephew died.
"One thing he did say though was if ever he was sent to Paremaremo one of the things he would be worried about was an attempt on his life," says Wheeler.
"We want a full investigation. What they hell were they doing up there?"
Others though are less diplomatic about Dixon's death.
"I think its fantastic, a good outcome to a fantastic event.
No tears on my behalf," says Garth McVicar of the Sensible
sentencing Trust.
"From the victims' perspective, it's closure for them."
Dixon shot dead father of three James Te Aute during a violent rampage where he was high on a cocktail of drugs including P.
A paranoid Dixon, had also used a samurai sword to hack the
hands of his former girlfriend and another woman. He also took a
hostage at gunpoint.
He had already been through two trials and was looking to appeal
again.
Dixon displayed bizarre behaviour at his court appearances.
"What Kiwi isn't familiar with the bulging eyes of Antonie Dixon. He became the face of methamphetamine," says Mike Sabin of Methcom.
But Dixon's lawyer says his client's mental state had deteriorated significantly. He was being abused by other prisoners, was self-mutilating and refusing to take his medication.
"The signs have been for weeks. He was paranoid, he was suspicious," says Hart.
Hart says he had tried on Wednesday to get Dixon assessed by an independent psychiatrist, but instead a doctor brought in by the Prison Service saw him and acknowledged Dixon was unwell.
Hart says nothing was changed as a result of the doctor's visit.
It's not known if Dixon had access to illegal drugs in prison but methamphetamine or P users can suffer depression.
"Within five years you are either sobered up, locked up or covered up, which has proven to the case with this guy here," says Sabin.
Dixon's family is now making arrangements for his funeral.
