SG has left a trail of pain and destruction in his wake. It will fade from the news but for those personally involved, it's for life. Every family get-together - every time they open a photo album - every time one of them says, 'Remember when ... '. It will remain a raw wound. Death of a loved-one hurts but in the normal course of events, time gradually helps heal. In the case of the murder of a loved-one, time stands still. Those affected have to try to construct some sort of existence around it. They have to try to deal with their feelings of raw grief, outrage, loss, despair, helplessness and the inevitable feelings of guilt and 'what-ifs'
It is contrary to our innate sense of justice that the murderer should be permitted to continue living their own life - should be able to rise to a sunny day - laugh with friends - travel - avail themselves of opportunities - plan for their future, etc.
A woman I've known well for many years (let's call her Helen) was involved with a Lebanese man very similar in history to SG. He was Helen's first boyfriend. He dominated and ruled her entire existence for almost ten years. His family knew what he was capable of. His siblings were afraid of him. His dozens of cousins and ethnic connections covered and lied for him, raised money for solicitors and assisted him to stalk and menace Helen whenever she tried to extricate herself. His employer likewise paid-off his many victims. He believed he was untouchable. Helen was forced to isolate herself for fear he would harm anyone with whom she came into any but the most casual contact. Her confidence was destroyed. She developed agoraphobia, athough at the time the term was virtually unknown and not discussed. Helen blamed herself. She was depressed, lonely and suicidal for years. When she leased a flat in utmost secrecy and began a new job, she believed she'd finally escaped him. But he was unrelenting, tracked her down over a year later and almost killed the man she later married
Throughout her ordeal, people 'blamed the victim' to the point even Helen blamed herself. It was only when police arrested him for attacking Helen's future husband with a deadly weapon before numerous witnesses, that her tormentor finally understood that Helen was not his to own or kill. He was not imprisoned and boasted about how much money his parents had invested in bribes. His uncles had likewise escaped long prison sentences for killing people on the roads. But the threat remained and Helen didn't stray far from her home even after she'd had children for fear he would harm her and her family. She and her husband moved interstate as soon as they could afford to do so
Helen learned her violent ex-boyfriend had not altered his ways. He'd married and had several children and beat them and his wife as if it were his 'right'. He'd been sacked for robbing his employer (involving huge sums of money) over a period of almost two decades by engineering robberies. Again, he escaped prison. He smashed & permanently scarred the face of one of his adult daughters. When his wife took the children to her parents after a family-bashing, he bashed and threatened his in-laws. This led to divorce. Reluctant to see his wife gain anything in property-settlement, he made death-threats to his wife, but by that time, the law had finally begun to seriously address domestic violence -- had stopped/been forced to stop blaming the victim - and his wife succeeded in gaining her financial entitlements and relative freedom. The violent offender has never been sentenced to a day in prison and when his parents died, they bequeathed him close to a million dollars in property. Today, he plays the role of grand-father and regards himself as a victim. No remorse. No admittance of guilt. Attends church in the belief it will provide him immunity/spiritual-insurance and his children - with an eye to their own inheritance - play the game
This could be the future of SG, depending on the sentence imposed on him. Helen's ex-boyfriend stopped (or had been stopped) just short of murder several times. He'd pushed Helen backwards over the railings of a high balcony, his hands around her throat after she'd flown interstate to get away from him. Only the appearance of others on the scene had saved her. He'd bashed a huge hole into the skull of a man who annoyed him, using a billiard ball - only Helen's intervention prevented that from becoming a murder. As it was, the victim was left brain-damaged for life - the assailant's employer had rushed to the hospital and paid the man off. He'd lashed another man with a car antenna, requiring 47 stitches to the victim's face. He'd bashed and raped women in company with his mates, leaving the victims naked in pitch black at council rubbish-dumps. So many other vile attacks on people and all unpunished thanks to 'contacts' and corruption, no lessons learned, no genuine remorse, nothing to halt further years of assaults and injury
Lawless individuals have to be stopped as early as possible in their lives of crime and destruction. I believe juries are entitled to be told of an accused's similar crimes in order to arrive at an informed verdict. After all, potential employers seek to learn an applicant's previous work-history, just as landlords are entitled to know the history of anyone applying to live in their property