Repeat Murderer Dismembers Body in Phillip Island

Crime:  Murder
Occurred: 12 August 2009
Sentenced: 26 August 2011
Where: Private residence at Wimbledon Heights, Phillip Island
Convicted: John Coombes
Victim:  Raechel Betts

What happened?
The exact details of the murder and its motive are unknown, as John Coombes has given police several different versions of the killing.  It is most likely that John was Raechel Betts' drug dealer.  On 12 August he drove her down to his mistress's house in Phillip Island and killed her in the house while his mistress slept, probably either strangling her or breaking her neck.  He then carved up her corpse with boxcutters and a knife.  He had to stop to vomit and went and lay down next to his mistress for a sleep before he finished.  He then drove to the Newhaven Pier and cast the body parts to sea, ensuring he sliced the abdomen so that the gases in the stomach would not cause it to float to the surface.



Victim's background Raechel was 27 years old when she was killed.  She was an early childhood teacher and childcare worker and worked in this area until she adopted two girls (aged 15 and 13).  As the primary caregiver, she began to sell drugs for money.  By the end of 2008 she had quit her work in childcare and become a fully fledged drug trafficker.  She and the girls moved in with one of her dealers named Romeo, and during this time she and the girls experienced druggings and sexual assaults.  John later claimed that he went to Phillip Island with Raechel to discuss the sexual assaults and "off" the people who had done this to them.  John claimed that Raechel confessed to him that she had organised the assaults to pay for her own drug debts and this made enraged him so he killed her - however, the judge dismissed this as highly unlikely as there was no basis to suggest that Raechel did anything other than love and protect her children, and John's version of the killing changed every time he spoke with police and psychologists.


John's background

John was nearly 55 when he killed Raechel.  He has claimed he was the victim of sexual abuse as a child and his mum was part of a paedophille ring but there are other reports his mother abandoned him as a baby.  He left school in Year 10 and dropped out of a mechanical apprenticeship, joining the Army until he was discharged in the seventies after sustaining a head injury.  He went on to manage a hotel.  He was married around the age of 20 and had two children. He was divorced from his wife when he was sent to prison for the first murder in 1985.  His ex wife has claimed that he was abusive. 
This was John's third murder and he was out on parole for a life sentence at the time he killed Raechel.  At the time of the killing he lived with his girlfriend in Viewbank and also had a mistress in Phillip Island.  Rachael was reported as having told a friend that she was thinking about becoming John's mistress as well.


Outcome of trial: John pleaded guilty so there was no need for a trial.

Sentence:   Imprisonment for life (no minimum set).  This is to be served cumulatively after his current life sentence.

You can read the judgement here.  Media coverage is available here and here.

The first murder
John and his friend went out on a boat with an acquaintance (Michael Speirani).  The acquaintance was never seen again.  The court determined John stabbed him to death and applied the boat propeller to his body.  John claimed he was punishing Michael for sexually abusing a teenager (most likely untrue).  John was not convicted for this murder until he was in prison for the second homicide.


The second murder
Nine months after the first murder, John and another friend beat an acquaintance (Henry Kells) to death for no reason other than John's friend was unhappy that Henry was speaking to his landlady.  John was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time.

Dad Found Dead in Doncaster

Crime: Defensive homicide
Occurred:  9 July 2010
Sentenced: 22 August 2011
Where: 12 Amelia Crescent, Doncaster
Convicted:  Zlatko (Boris) Svetina - son
Victim:  Tomislav Svetina - father

What happened?
On the night of 8 July 2010, Boris broke into his father's house and turned off the lights “to flush him”.  Tomislav came down the stairs, armed with a tomahawk.  There was an ensuing struggle where Boris managed to get hold of the tomahawk and stabbed Tomislav with it 10 times before fleeing the home. Tomislav's body was discovered four days later.

Victim's background
Tomislav, born and raised in Croatia, was 74 when he was killed.  He was an electrical fitter by trade.  In poor health, he had injuries from a serious car accident, heart disease and a past incidence of bowel cancer.
Boris was the eldest of Tomislav's two sons.  After Boris got divorced, he moved in with Tomislav and Tomislav's wife until Tomislav's wife left the home.  Tomsilav blamed Boris for the breakdown of his marriage, believing that Boris encouraged his wife to leave. In November 2010, Tomsilav accused his wife of seeing other men on the internet.  He grabbed her by the hair and ripped her top.  She ran to the neighbours while he destroyed things in the garage with a hammer.  The police were called.  The next morning, Tomislav went to his wife's property, entered through a window and stabbed his wife in the mouth and the arm.  Boris ran to his mother's rescue, took the knife and restrained Tomsilav while he waited for the police.  Tomsilav was in prison until March 2010.  He deeply hated his son and refused to talk to him.  He also rearranged his financial affairs to ensure that Boris would receive no inheritance.  He told other people that he kept a tomahawk beside his bed and that if Boris came near him he would attack him with it.


Boris' background
Boris was born in Croatia and moved to Melbourne after primary school.  He was 52 years old when he killed his father and is divorced with two children.  After leaving school part-way through Year 11 he began a career in community care and nursing and spent many years working with people with disabilities and in crisis accommodation units.

Outcome of trial: Boris pleaded not guilty to defensive homicide.  A jury found otherwise.

Sentence:   7 years before eligible for parole (11 years max).  He has already served over a year of his sentence in remand.

You can read the judgement here.  Media coverage is available here and here. 

Tomislav's house in Doncaster where the killing occurred

King Hit in Yarraville

Crime: Manslaughter
Occurred: 14 July 2009
Sentenced: 16 August 2011
Where:  Outside the Blarney Stone Irish Pub in Yarraville (35 Anderson Street)
Convicted: Jacob Polutele
Victim: Cain Aguiar


What happened?
On a Thursday night (9 July 2009) at the Blarney Stone Irish Pub, Cain Aguiar had the misfortune of chatting to a young lady who was with a man named Foster Akoteu.  Foster was jealous that his lady friend was talking to Cain and decided to fight him. Outside the Blarney Stone, Foster and his friend Sioeli Seau set upon Cain, hitting him with bottles and trying to bring him down but Cain remained standing, defenceless to the attack.  Jacob, who was out with Foster and Seau and wanted to "help", ran up to Cain from the side and hit him in the face, which caused him to fall to the ground and smack his head hard against the curb with nothing to break his fall.  Foster then kicked and stomped on Cain's head and said, "Welcome to Australia, bitch".

Cain Aguiar

Cain suffered horrendous brain injuries and his family, who flew in from Canada, made the decision to turn off life support days later.


Cain's background
Cain was 25 years old when he was killed.  As a Canadian, he had come to Australia to begin a new life and had been in Australia for a month, living with relatives.  He was a qualified pilot and financial analyst and had come to Australia to pursue a new career.  He has left behind his parents, grandparents, sibilings and a nephew.


Jacob's background

Jacob Polutele

Jacob was 22 years old at the time of the attack and on a suspended sentence for causing serious injury in an unrelated case.  He is of Tongan origin and has four siblings.  Jacob left school part way through Year 11 and became involved in amphetamines and ecstasy, working as a labourer and in meat works.  Jacob's drinking began to interfere with his work and he spent six months unemployed before he attacked Cain.


Outcome of trial: Jacob pleaded not guilty to manslaughter but a jury found otherwise.


Sentence:  7 years before eligible for parole (10 years max).  This was the same sentence as the one handed down to Foster.


You can read the judgement here or listen to it here.  Media coverage is available here and here.

Senseless Pakenham Attack

Crime: Manslaughter
Occurred: 8 November 2010
Sentenced: 15 August 2011
Where:  Outside Pakenham McDonalds (Princes Highway, Pakenham)
Convicted: RPJ (unidentified minor)
Victim: Cameron Lowe


What happened?
On 6 November around 12am on a Saturday night, Cameron, his two brothers and some friends went to Hungry Jacks, before walking over to McDonalds nearby.  They were denied service at McDonalds because they went through the drive-through on foot.
RPJ was on a party bus which stopped off at McDonalds.  He had consumed 15 Pulse vodka energy drinks.  As he got off the bus he said he wanted a fight, and his mates told him not to be silly.  Nevertheless, he encountered Cameron's group outside McDonalds and there was a bit of back and forth.  Cameron commented sarcastically that he was a drug dealer and asked RPJ not to speak to him.  RPJ then punched Cameron in the side of his jaw and knocked him unconscious.
Cameron was assisted by his brothers and went home.  The next morning no one was able to wake him.  He was taken to hospital but on 8 November had life support switched off due to no signs of brain activity.


Cameron's background
Cameron was 17 years old when he died.  He was a former student of Drouin Secondary College.  After his death his parents donated his organs, which have gone on to save the lives of others.  His family have been devastated by his loss.  A Facebook tribute page was set up to honour Cameron's death, which subsequently attracted negative and hurtful comments by trolls.


RPJ's background
RPJ was 17 years old at the time of the attack.  He left school in Year 8 and completed an apprenticeship as a floor tiler.  He has had no previous convictions.  A week before killing Cameron, he attended a party where he saw someone he didn't like and announced "I want to hit that kid with the red hair" and later punched the red-haired boy unconscious.


Outcome of trial: There was no trial because RPJ pleaded guilty.


Sentence:  Six and a half years imprisonment (nine years max), having served two days already in custody.


You can read the judgment here and media coverage here and here.

Underbelly Matriarch Put Away

Crime: Murder
Occurred: 15 June 2009
Sentenced: 10 August 2011
Where:  Ascot Pasta & Deli Cafe (191 Union Street, Ascot Vale)
Convicted: Judith Mary-Anne Moran and Geoffrey Armour
Victim: Desmond Moran

What happened?
Judy believed Des, her ex-brother in law, owed her some money.  She also didn't like him very much.  So she organised Geoffrey to kill Des on the anniversary of her son's death (Mark Moran).  At a cafe where Des ate everyday, Geoff and Michael Furrugia (who thought he was on a debt collection mission) walked up to Des while he was trying to pay his bill and Geoff shot him seven times with a shotgun, a few in the back of the head and some in his chest and neck.  There were several distraught witnesses who watched the scene unfold.
Judy drove the getaway car.  She was later caught dumping the car by police.

Desmond's background
No one from Des' family submitted a victim impact statement - the only person who did was someone who witnessed the murder.  Des claimed to be out of the criminal business and had survived an earlier attempt on his life in March 2009.

Judy's background

Judy was 66 years old at the time of sentencing.  She quit school at 12 and worked as a machinist making clothing and then worked at Myers.  In her capacity as a professional dancer she performed on television programs during the 1960s.  Her two partners have both been killed (after they were separated from her) and she lost two sons during the Melbourne gangland killings in the early 2000s.  She developed health problems as she has aged and has osteoarthritis in both knees and hip problems.


Geoff's background
Geoff was 45 years old at the time of sentencing.  He was 12 when his parents separated and he left school when he was 14.  He has convictions in South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria for offences including assault, drug possession and theft, none of which resulted in a term of imprisonment. He ran a business in Western Australia until it fell apart during the global financial crisis.  Whilst in remand, Geoff rescued another prisoner who was trying to hang himself.

Outcome of trial: Geoff pleaded guilty of murder and did not require a trial.  Judy pleaded not guilty of murder but was found guilty by a jury.

Sentence:  Geoff and Judy were both sentenced to 21 years imprisonment before eligible for parole (26 years max) and have already served a little over two years of their sentence in remand.

You can read Judy's judgement here and Geoffrey's judgement here and media coverage here and here.

Backstabbing in Hastings

Crime: Manslaughter

Occurred: 8 July 2009

Sentenced: 10 August 2011

Where: 1 Mullett Street, Hastings

Convicted:  Kenny Bourbaud

Victim:  Willy Tiotala

What happened?
Willy lived in the flat above Kenny.  In the afternoon of 8 July 2009, Willy came downstairs to Kenny's for a few drinks. Some time later, there was friction and Kenny asked him to leave.  Later in the evening, Kenny called Willy to come downstairs and fight him.  Willy got out of bed and went downstairs for a fight.  Kenny's parents had come over to visit and they joined in the fight - so did Scott Smith, one of Kenny's mates.
While his family and friend continued to fight Willy, Kenny went into the house and came back with knife with a 20cm blade.  He stabbed Willy in the back, breaking some rib and piercing Willy's lung and liver in a wound that ran 19cm deep - nearly the whole length of the blade.  Willy died soon after.
Upon questioning from police, Kenny indicated that there was bad blood between him and Willy and that he wanted to teach Willy a lesson for how Willy had treated him in the past.

Willy's background
Willy had four children was with his partner, Kerry, for 14 years.  It was noted during sentencing that his death has had a profound effect on his family members.

Kenny's background
Kenny was 22 years old when he killed Willy.  He has two siblings and dropped out of school in Year 7.  From the age of 13 he has used substances including alcohol, speed and cannabis.  Kenny has a history of offences including assault with a weapon, threats to kill, burglary and failure to answer bail.  Kenny has been ordered to pay fines and serve community service in the past.  While in remand Kenny was caught with receiving drugs underneath a postage stamp on a letter.

Outcome of trial:  Kenny had two trials terminated before having his third and final trial carried out in 2011.  He plead guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder.  The jury agreed with Kenny and found accordingly.

Sentence: 6 years before eligible for parole (9 years max).  762 days of the sentence has already been served in remand.

You can read the judgment here and media coverage here.