James Austin sentenced over manslaughter of Tasmanian mother-of-four Jacqui Purton

Australia Broadcast Center

15 hours ago

A man who pleaded guilty to the 2023 manslaughter of mother-of-four Jacqui Lee Purton has been sentenced to 13 years' jail.
Warning: Some of the details of the case may be distressing.
James Kenneth Austin, 40, last month pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Hobart to the manslaughter of Ms Purton, his ex-partner.
He had previously pleaded not guilty to her murder, and that charge was later withdrawn.
In March 2023, Ms Purton was fatally hit by a car driven by Austin at a property in Campania, north-east of Hobart.
While handing down the sentence, Justice Michael Brett described Austin's actions as "callous and cold blooded".
The sentence was backdated to March 13, 2023.
Austin will be eligible to apply for parole after serving eight years.
During Monday's sentencing submissions hearing, prosecutor Heather Denton told the court Austin was "violent and controlling" of Ms Purton during their four-year "on-again, off-again" relationship.
She said on several occasions, Austin drove his car at Ms Purton when she tried to leave, forcing her to "jump into bushes to avoid being hit".
In 2022, Ms Purton told her mother she "feared for her life" as Austin had "threatened to kill her," Ms Denton said.
In the early hours of March 13, 2023, Ms Purton attempted to leave Austin's Campania property where he lived with his parents, following an argument.
She made several attempts to book a taxi but was unable to due to poor phone reception.
She also attempted to contact triple-0 and the non-emergency Tasmania Police number before walking down the driveway.
Austin drove his white Holden Commodore down the driveway looking for her, at 20-30 kilometres per hour.
With no evidence of breaking, he struck her on her left knee and she travelled under the entirety of the vehicle.
Ms Denton asserted that Austin drove at Ms Purton with the aim of trying to scare her.
"Both thought each other would move, but neither did in time," Ms Denton told the court.
Austin went back to the house on foot and did not initially call an ambulance. When police called, he attempted to deter them from the property.
Austin told police he did not perform CPR on Ms Purton, as he did not know how.
Austin placed Ms Purton's body across the back seats of his car and drove the car back to the house.
He asked his father to drive to meet the ambulance at the bottom of the driveway, and went to bed, as he was unlicensed at the time.
The court also heard that Austin lied several times to emergency services, including telling police and ambulance officers that Ms Purton had left the property and that someone else had hit Ms Purton.
Analysis from a forensic pathologist found Ms Purton died "rapidly" from internal injuries.
During sentencing submissions, nine of Ms Purton's family members submitted victim impact statements, including her four children.
Ms Purton's mother, Leanne Walford, was visibly upset as she told the court the "senseless" death of her daughter had "engulfed" her family in mourning.
"She made people feel seen and cared for. She did not deserve to leave this world in such a horrific way," Ms Walford said.
Ms Purton's daughter, Shakira Robertson, told the court she said goodbye to her mother wearing a blindfold, as she was afraid she "wouldn't recognise the beautiful woman who raised me".
"[She was] fun, bold, kind, a free spirit who had no fear, the best mum in the whole world.
"To sum up feels impossible, there are no right words, losing her in a horrific way has destroyed me," she said.
Addressing Austin, who was present in court, she said she "will never forgive" him.