Grumpy Old Man Slays Housemate in Clayton

A convicted murderer stabbed his housemate to death over a garden bed dispute.

Crime: Manslaughter

Occurred: Thursday, 20 October 2011

Where: 13 Thompson Street, Clayton

Sentenced: 9 April 2013 

Convicted:  Periklis Papadopoulos

Victim:  Andonios Mirtsopoulos

What happened?
Periklis lived in Clayton with Andonios and another gentleman named George, in what the Judge described as a 'rooming house, of some sort, for elderly Greek men'.  Unfortunately, Periklis and Andonios did not get along.  Two weeks prior to his death, Andonios dug out a garden bed for a vegie patch.  On the night before the killing, Periklis planted his own vegetables in the garden bed.  The next day, upon discovering his vegetable patch had been stolen, Andonios loudly complained to George.  Periklis emerged from the house, holding a knife and a pear, and an argument then ensued.  George watched as the two men yelled at each other.  Andonios began pulling out the tomato plants. Periklis pushed Andonios into the fence. The pair exchanged fisticuffs until George broke them up.  Not content to leave it there, Periklis ran back towards Andonios, who also moved towards Periklis.  Periklis plunged the knife into Andonios' chest, killing him at the scene. Periklis said, "oh no what have I done, I'm going to go to jail for this bastard".  He ran inside, changed his clothes and fled out onto the driveway.

13 Thompson Street, Clayton, where the manslaughter occurred.

Victim's background
Andonios was 72 years old when he was killed.  He was estranged from his wife and children, which the Judge noted made it all the more sadder that his death cemented no prospect of reconciliation with his family.  Shortly before his death his daughter had gotten back in contact with him.

Convicted's background
Periklis grew up in a poor farming family in a Greek village.  His family were unable to afford his education and he left school at 16 and became a tradesman painter. He migrated to Australia in 1969, met his wife and moved back to Greece in 1978 with her in tow.  After having a son and daughter, the marriage was understood to have come to an end, but the couple continued living under one roof due to religious and social pressures.

In 1992, Periklis was convicted in Greece for the voluntary homicide of his cousin, a charge equivalent to murder under Victorian law. That incident occurred after a hunting trip, when the cousins stopped in at a tavern for a drink.  Periklis and his cousin were involved in an argument.  Periklis fetched his gun from the boot of his car and shot his cousin dead.

After being convicted and serving a total of 16 years, he was released from prison in 2008. He left his wife and children in Greece and migrated back to Australia and worked as a painter, living at the premises in Clayton.  For the six months leading up to the manslaughter, Periklis and Andonios had bickered over petty issues and there was one other occasion when their housemate George had to break them up.  Periklis was 65 years old at the time of the stabbing.

Periklis planted four or five tomato and pepper plants
in the controversial garden bed (source).

Outcome of trial 
There was no trial because Periklis pleaded guilty.

Sentence 
Periklis was sentenced to a maximum of 11 years and six months with a minimum 9 years before eligible for parole.  Almost a year and a half of the sentence was served while on remand.

In sentencing, the Judge commented that both the victim and the convicted were 'grumpy old men' and that Periklis had been 'provocative' in planting his vegetables in Andonios' garden bed.  The Judge took into account the prior conviction in Greece and stated that specific and general deterrence were significant factors taken into consideration in the sentence, given that Periklis had been released from prison in 2008 and three years later had killed again and the killing had occurred over such a 'petty issue'.  The Judge commented on Periklis' limited remorse, stating that any remorse Periklis indicated was concerned mainly with the punishment befalling him rather than his actions.  The Judge further stated that the sentence reflected a need to protect the public.  Had the Periklis not pleaded guilty, he would have been sentenced to 13 years with a minimum of 10 years and six months before eligible for parole.

This case was unsuccessfully appealed by Periklis in 2014.

You can read the judgment here.  News articles are available here and here.

Dandenong Man Killed for Caricature Depicting Woman as Fat

A 26 year old man was fatally stabbed in the chest in his new home.

Crime: Murder

Occurred: 15 July 2011

Where: 44 Princes Highway, Dandenong

Sentenced:  5 April 2013

Convicted: Boronika Gam Hothnyang

Victim: William Awu

What happened?
William and Boronika, both Sudanese, belonged to a group of friends who enjoyed drinking and socialising. Around mid-July 2011 Boronika allowed William to move in with her.

On 15 July, Boronika, William and three other friends, including her boyfriend, rose at 8:30am to continue a drinking binge that had started the day before. Throughout the day more people visited the house, some for a short time, some hanging around all day.

As Boronika drank, she also grew more aggressive and agitated. She was upset when her boyfriend taunted her that she came to Australia from Kenya rather than Egypt, and she left the house to pay a visit to the Dandenong branch of the Department of Human Services to complain about a door in her home that needed fixing.

When she returned home, William drew a caricature of Boronika that depicted her as being overweight. Her boyfriend laughed at the picture and teased her about it. Angry, Boronika told William to stop drawing pictures like that and that both men should stop the taunting or there would be consequences.

At around 2.15pm in the afternoon, after her boyfriend went back to bed, Boronika was witnessed by friends as putting her arm around William's neck so that he struggled to breath. Two friends made Boronika back off, and she continued drinking until 4pm when she announced she was going to bed.

Soon after, Boronika emerged from the bedroom, walked into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, holding it behind her back as she approached William, who was passed out in the corner of the room. She stabbed him once to the chest. He died of blood loss at the scene.

Boronika used a kitchen knife similar to this one to attack her friend (source).

Victim's background
Born in Sudan, William was the third child among ten children. He fled to Egypt in 2002 and moved to Australia with his family in 2004. He studied English for a brief period and later worked as a farm labourer in Victoria and New South Wales. He also had a talent for drawing caricatures. He was unemployed at the time of his death.

Soon after his arrival in Australia, he developed a drinking problem and fell in with the wrong crowd. At the time of his murder his blood alcohol reading was 0.42. Six weeks before he was killed, he was hospitalised for pulmonary tuberculosis and told to quit smoking and drinking.

All ten of William's siblings, as well as his mother, provided victim impact statements to the Court.

Convicted's background
Boronika was 24 years old at the time of the murder. She was one of six children, born in the Sudan. Her father was a factory worker and her mother was the primary caregiver. Boronika never attended school. Despite the civil war raging in her country, she reported to have a happy childhood, although she moved to Egypt when she was 13 years old, accompanied by an abusive brother and an aunt who the judge described as "cruel, sadistic and manipulative".

Life in Egypt was tough. She worked as a domestic servant and endured abuse. Around this time she had an older boyfriend who she fell pregnant to, but suffered a late miscarriage.

She came to Australia around the age of 15 or 16 and, similar to William, fell in with the wrong crowd and began drinking heavily. She fell pregnant again, and this time was allegedly forced to undergo an abortion by her aunty. She attempted suicide soon after. She fell pregnant again to the same boyfriend but he broke up with her.

She went on to have three children borne to three abusive fathers. She continued to drink throughout her pregnancies. All three children were placed into the custody of the Department of Human Services at some point in their early childhood, in relation to Boronika's alcoholism. One of the fathers was also suspected of sexually abusing one or more of her children.

Boronika was admitted into psychiatric units in hospitals on several different occasions in relation to suicide attempts and threats of harm to her children. Each incident was accompanied by heavy drinking. Each time she was hospitalised, away from the influence of alcohol she was able to make a recovery. However, upon being released she would relapse back into her former lifestyle.

44 Princes Highway, Boronika's home and where the murder occurred (source).

Outcome of trial: Boronika pleaded not guilty but a jury found otherwise.

Sentence: 10 years and 6 months before eligible for parole (14 years max), with over a year of her sentence already served while on remand.

Factors that were taken into account to reach this sentence were: Boronika's prospects for rehabilitation, her young age, the time she would spend away from her children, her lack of premeditation, lack of prior offending, her remorse (although she could not remember the offence she did demonstrate sadness at  having killed her friend), her age and what the Judge described as her 'horrific background and personal circumstances'.  Balanced against these elements were punishment, deterrence, the seriousness of the offence and denunciation. The Judge also commented in passing that: 'All of this is such a sad reflection on our society, that we have groups of seemingly dispossessed men and women who have been brought here as refugees, with little or nothing to do except drink their days away.'

This case was unsuccessfully appealed in 2014.

You can read the judgment here.  News articles are available here, here and here.

Doncaster Dad Stabbed Wife to Death - Not Guilty

A woman was killed by her psychotic partner in front of her 11 year old daughter.

Crime: Murder (not guilty)

Occurred: 8 August 2010

Where: Marilyn Street, Doncaster

Sentenced:  1 March 2013

Not convicted:  Sestilio Cavallari

Victim:  Susan Wood

What happened?
Sestilio and Susan had been in a de facto relationship since 1985.  They had an 11 year old daughter, Tegan.  In the days leading up to Susan's death, Sestilio was acting a little off.  On 6 August 2010, he stood up his wife for lunch and later they had an argument.  He also booked a ticket to Italy, telling the travel agent that he needed to go by 9 August because "something bad [was] going to happen".  When the travel agent later rang to tell him that his Italian passport was expired and he wouldn't be able to use it for travel, Sestilio said he was already aware that was the case.

Susan was so worried by her partner, who was not talking much sense, that she rang her father to express her concern.  She asked her dad and brother to come over, but Sestilio took the phone and said that it was not necessary.  After another argument, Sestilio left the house and later returned, eventually tearing up his plane ticket. "I'm not going, but something's going to happen," he said.

Later that night, upon her father's request, Tegan slept in his bed.  Throughout the night she heard him say, "They're gunna take me away, they're gunna lock me up and your mum will know what she's done to me."

The next morning, Tegan heard her parents arguing and then her mother started screaming.  She ran into the bedroom to see that Sestilio was attacking and scratching Susan, and there was blood in her hair.  Susan cried out for Tegan to call triple 0.  Sestilio dragged Susan by her hair into the kitchen.  By the time Tegan had called emergency services and returned to the kitchen, her mother had been stabbed 37 times.  She died of wounds inflicted to her neck.

The street where Sestilio and Susan lived (source).

Victim's background
Susan is reported to have been 52 years old when she died. She was an associate director of an investment group.  She worked full time while Sestilio was the primary carer of Tegan.

Sestilio's background
Sestilio was reported to be 56 years old at the time of the murder.  Medical experts at his hearing described that during the murder and afterwards, he was in a psychotic state.  However, no underlying disorder (ie schizophrenia) had been diagnosed at the time of the hearing.  One doctor noted Sestilio's wish to reconciliate with Susan's family, and that as Sestilio tries to maintain a relationship with his daughter in the future, he will be at increased risk of depression and a relapse into psychosis.

Before and during the hearing, Sestilio was a patient at the Thomas Embling Hospital.

The Thomas Embling Hospital in Fairfield (source).

Outcome of trial
In 2012 a jury found that Sestilio was unfit to stand trial.  A subsequent hearing occurred before a judge who, after considering the evidence of several medical professionals, determined that Sestilio was not guilty on the basis of mental impairment.

The judge noted that Susan's brother, Dr Graeme Wood, had been receiving "persistent" contact from the hospital where Sestilio was staying, which was "on the surface of it, appear[ed] to be extremely insensitive".  The judge further observed that the particular order imposed on Sestilio did not enable conditions, but recommended that hospital staff discuss the issue with Dr Wood.

Sentence: Sestilio was made liable to a custodial supervision order and committed into the custody of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health.  The nominal term of his order is 25 years beginning from 8 August 2010.

You can read the judgment here.  A news article is available here.  You can find more information about mental impairment and custodial supervision orders in the Victorian criminal justice system here.

Brutal Assault in Swan Hill

 A 65 year old man was beaten to death in his own home.

Crime: Murder and theft

Occurred: 28 September 2011


Where: Harrisen Crescent, Swan Hill

Sentenced: 6 February 2013

Convicted: Darren Williams

Victim: Gary John Beggs

What happened?
Darren and Gary became acquainted in Bendigo when Darren asked Gary for a lift to Swan Hill for $20.  Gary obliged.  Six days later, over a cask of wine with his friend Kim (who happened to live on the same street as Gary), Kim told Darren that Gary was gay and was involved in a dispute with Kim over some money that she owed him.
Darren was disturbed at hearing this news, and as more people came to the premises that day for a party, he was heard by witnesses to make threats that he was "going to do the old fella over".
The party finished up at midnight but Darren stayed up and continued drinking.  Eventually, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and walked down the road to Gary's house.
Shortly before the attack, Darren became convinced that Gary had sexually assaulted him.
Gary was in his lounge room when Darren stabbed him in such a frenzy around the chest and face that the knife broke off after becoming stuck in Gary's right eye.  Darren also dropped a stone statue on Gary's head, fracturing his skull.
Gary died of head and chest injuries.
Following the murder, Darren stole Gary's Toyota station wagon and dumped it in Dareton, New South Wales.

Victim's background
Gary was 65 years old when he was killed.  He is survived by his intellectually disabled 11 year old son, Nathan.  Nathan's mother left the family when he was three years old, and he was raised by Gary until he was 8 and then placed into the care of the Department of Human Services.  Nathan looked forward to his father's visits, and since his father's death has regressed.
Gary also left behind a brother in Austria.

Convicted's background
Darren was 37 years old at the time of the murder.  He was one of nine kids.  Darren was sexually abused as a child.  He told police that Gary had also sexually assaulted him, though he was unable to convince the sentencing judge on a balance of probabilities that this was the case.
Darren's mother died of cancer when he was 11, and his father died of diabetes-related complications when Gary was 35.  Gary was of Aboriginal, Afghani and Irish origin and identified as Aboriginal.  He spent most of his life at the Manatjira Mission in Dareton, New South Wales.
Darren dropped out of school around year 10, and worked seasonally in number of jobs including woodcutting and fruit picking.  He became an alcoholic by the time he was 18, and continued to abuse alcohol up until the murder.  Throughout the years he incurred a string of violent convictions dating back to when he was 21, spending over 5 (non-consecutive) years in prison.
He has a daughter who lives with her mother.

Outcome of trial:  Although Darren initially pleaded not guilty to the murder, he changed his plea to guilty and there was no need for a trial.

Sentence:  Darren was sentenced to 14.5 years imprisonment before eligible for parole, 17.5 years maximum. Darren served 494 days of his sentence while in remand.

You can read the judgment here, and media articles here and here.

The township of Swan Hill (source)

Non-Payment of $2000 Debt Costs Life

A heroin addict was killed during an argument over money owed.

Crime:  Manslaughter

Occurred:  13 June 2004

Sentenced: 4 February 2011

Where: Convicted's home - not identified (body found in Thomastown)

Convicted: Bassam Tiba

Victim: Richard Haddara


What happened?
Richard owed Bassam's brother, Zain, some money.  Richard accepted $2000 in exchange for supplying electrical equipment, but never provided the equipment or returned the money.

On Sunday 13 June 2004, at Bassam's residence, Bassam had an argument with Richard over the money and stabbed him once in the chest, which pierced his heart and killed him.  Bassam put Richard in the back of Richard's car and drove it over to Zain's house, who jumped in the car and urged Bassam to go to the hospital.  Bassam drove in that direction but decided to dump the car at a carpark in Thomastown instead. He travelled on foot to another brother's house (Mohammed) and the next day flew out of Australia with his family, using Mohammed's passport.  He was extradited from Honiara in the Solomon Islands in December 2008.

Victim's background
Richard was a heroin addict who met Bassam in prison.  Before his death he was avoiding Bassam and his brother and was either unwilling or unable to pay back the debt owing.

Convicted's background
Bassam was born in Lebanon and came to Australia at the age of 12 with his parents and seven siblings.  He left Preston Tech after completing Year 10.  In 2000 he was imprisoned for four years and six months (before eligible for parole), for savagely beating his wife with a hose and a metal tipped cane.  His wife stayed loyal and waited for him while he was in prison.  He was out on parole for a month when he stabbed Richard to death.  After the killing he fled to Lebanon and then Egypt, working as an English teacher with his wife.  When he is released from prison he wants to return to his wife and children who remain in Egypt.  Currently in restrictive custody, he has been confined to his cell for 18 hours a day since May 2010, following an incident in prison involving other members of the Haddara family.

Outcome of trial: Bassam was originally indicted for murder, but once the charge was changed to manslaughter he pleaded guilty so there was no need for a trial.

Sentence:  6 years and 6 months before eligible for parole (max 10 years).

You can read the judgement here.  This killing has taken place in the midst of family feuding in the northern and western suburbs (major players including the Haddaras, Bibas and Chaouks).  You can read about it here, here and here.  The death toll points to another major gang war currently playing out around us.