WA: Defence applies for lessening of lesbian killer's sentence

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2008
WA: Defence applies for lessening of lesbian killer's sentence

One of Perth's two notorious lesbian killers is trying to have her life sentence reduced.

21 year old JESSICA STASINOWSKY .. who was jailed in March for a minimum 24 years for
the wilful murder of 16-year-old STACEY MITCHELL .. has argued to the West Australian
Court of Appeal that the sentence is too severe.

STACEY took half-an-hour to die after being bludgeoned with a concrete block and strangled
with a chain in December 2006 because she had been annoying.

TOM PERCY QC .. for STASINOWSKY .. has argued she shouldn't serve a strict security
life sentence .. but should have been given a standard life sentence .. which runs between
15 and 19 years.

He says the sentencing judge PETER BLAXELL may have failed to take into account her
youth .. remorse at what she had done and her chances of rehabilitation.

It's understood that if she fails in her appeal for the smaller life sentence .. STASINOWSKY
will argue the judge erred in handing down a 24-year mandatory sentence .. rather than
a minimum 20-year term.

One of the three Appeal Court judges drew attention to the fact the pair recorded the
crime scene on a mobile phone .. suggesting to Mr PERCY it was in the worst category of
offences.

But Mr PERCY replied it was short of the worst category.

AAP RTV was/crh/wz

KEYWORD: STASINOWSKY (PERTH)

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