The parents of a woman killed in a bag-snatching hit-and-run say the incident has damaged New Zealand's reputation.
Christopher Shadrock, 23, will spend at least 12 years in prison for the murder of Joanne Wang in a supermarket carpark in 2008.
Mrs Wang was with her eight-year-old son when Shadrock grabbed her handbag and ran back to his car.
As she chased him, he accelerated away, knocking her to the ground.
In the High Court in Auckland on Friday, Justice Hansen said the murder was reckless, but the result of a spontaneous act.
Joanne Wang's 78-year-old father says his daughter thought New Zealand was the loveliest, safest country and that's why he and his wife came from China to retire in Auckland.
Mr Wang says now the cruel actions of Shadrock and his co-offenders have shattered their lives and broken down the country's reputation.
In a statement the Wangs say they are very grateful for the kindness and compassion they have been shown by people, many of whom were strangers.
They say they hope people will learn from the tragedy so their daughter's death won't be in vain.
However, Manukau City Council member Daniel Newman says he's disappointed with the sentence which he described as at the lower end of murder sentences.
He hopes Shadrock will spend a much longer period in prison.
A chinese language website says the killing of a woman in a bag-snatching incident
The Chinese language website Skykiwi's chief editor Hewitt Wang says the death has shocked the community, particularly immigrants, who came to New Zealand for a better, safer life.
He says it is unlikely to deter students, tourists and immigrants from coming to New Zealand from China but it has made, in particular, Asian woman more careful.
