Warren Francis Rogers, 71, has been sentenced to at least 12 years behind bars after a jury in May found him guilty of murder. Ms Rogers was killed on September 12, 2016, after a fight broke out when her husband discovered she was still in contact with an old boyfriend she’d reconnected with through Facebook.
The “bigger and stronger” Rogers held his wife down in a bedroom in their Milperra home, placing a pillow over her mouth.
Ms Rogers had an injury on the top of her head from either a blunt object or the bed head and bruises on her body consistent with her husband holding her down.
Scratches on her face showed she’d desperately tried to remove the pillow.
Despite his not guilty plea, the judge accepted the murderer was “genuinely remorseful”.
“The evidence demonstrates he was, before the events immediately leading up to this offence, a good and kind man, moral, caring and ethical, not violent, aggressive or abusive.
“It is without question that this offence was extremely out of character.”
Rogers was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years in prison with a non-parole period of 12 years.
Husband jailed for ‘terrifying’ murder
It's probably futile to compare cases but this one brought Ristevski to mind, happened in NSW though. I believe BR smothered Karen with a pillow too, she was a short, petite lady, he's a strong, sturdy little fella!
Warren Rogers didn't dispose of the body, he was remorseful and said to be of good character, 15 years older than BR, 2 psychiatrists agree Rogers was suffering from an undiagnosed major depressive disorder, went to trial pleading not guilty to murder and the jury's verdict was guilty.
It seems in Victoria, disposing of the body, lying to police and family, staying silent if or when the body's discovered means it's acceptable to plead guilty to manslaughter without uttering a word and be given a pathetic sentence.
No wonder BR took the deal and he can remain silent till the end of his miserable life! I hope his sentence is increased.
Justice Whelan says Ristevski kills his wife, dumps the body and "pursues a program of deceit after many months," which meant the court could be satisfied he did not feel remorse.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Brendan Kissane says Ristevski's silence is relevant.
"I’m not sure how I grasp this right to silence can bear upon the seriousness of the offending," Justice Priest says, to which Mr Kissane responds that his silence "indicates something bad happened in the house".
"He hasn't put forward anything to positively say that this was just above an accident, for example."
"So it's in that way we say that it had an impact."
https://www.theage.com.au/national/...rce-ristevski-s-sentence-20191115-p53av9.html
