AAP Lawyers for Adrian Bayley told a Victorian court the non-parole period given to him was excessive. The 35-year non-parole period given to Adrian Ernest Bayley for the murder of Melbourne woman Jill Meagher was excessive, his lawyers say.
Bayley, 42, was in June sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Ms Meagher in Brunswick last September plus 15 years for her rape.
In seeking leave to appeal the sentence, Bayley’s barrister Saul Holt SC said the defence had accepted both head sentences were appropriate.
However, Mr Holt said the 35-year non-parole period set by Victorian Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Nettle was excessive.
“It is our respectful submission that the sentencing judge … made two specific errors,” he told the Victorian Court of Appeal on Thursday.
Mr Holt said Justice Nettle should have taken community protection into account when setting the head sentence, but not for the non-parole period.
The non-parole period was on a similar severity as those given to gangland killer Carl Williams and Melbourne CBD shooter Christopher Wayne Hudson, he said.
Mr Holt said the non-parole period required the court’s scrutiny.
In sentencing Bayley, Justice Nettle said the murder ranked among the worst committed in Victoria.
“The rape was savage and degrading,” he said.
“Your killing of the deceased ranks among the worst kind conceivable.”
Justice Nettle said Bayley’s crime was made even worse given he tried to hide Ms Meagher’s body and was on parole for prior rape convictions when he committed the offence.
“The nature and gravity of your offending and your antecedents are such that nothing short of life imprisonment will suffice,” he said.
Justice Nettle said he would have jailed Bayley for life with no parole if he hadn’t pleaded guilty.
MORE TO COME
