Latest news with #JacquiLeePurton
ABC News
03-07-2025
- ABC News
James Austin sentenced over manslaughter of Tasmanian mother-of-four Jacqui Purton
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 He had previously pleaded not guilty to her murder, and that charge was later withdrawn.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.
ABC News
18-06-2025
- ABC News
Daughter of Jacqui Purton reacts to manslaughter plea of James Kenneth Austin
Shakira Robertson has waited two years to hear the word "guilty" come out of the mouth of the man charged over her mother's death. The 22-year-old finally heard it this week. "There's always been an anticipation, I've always wondered, how is it going to feel?" Ms Robertson said. "I think hearing the word guilty was such an overwhelming experience. "I just wish that it was guilty to a harsher charge." On Tuesday, James Kenneth Austin, 40, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Hobart to the manslaughter of mother-of-four Jacqui Lee Purton. Austin previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder. The charge was later withdrawn. "I'm beyond devastated that it was unable to proceed as a murder charge, but at the end of the day, I know that it's been told to me by several people that we should be happy that at least it's a manslaughter charge," Ms Robertson said. "But it's hard to even remotely think that justice has been served here." Jacqui Purton met James Austin in 2019. "He was, in her opinion, her dream person; he had a farm, he had horses, and Mum was such a horse lover," Ms Roberston said. "To her it was like, 'Oh my God, this is amazing. This is who I want to spend the rest of my life with.'" Ms Robertson said six to eight months into the relationship, "it went dark so quickly". "It was a four-year relationship of abuse," she said. In late 2022, Ms Purton decided to leave Austin. They'd been separated for months when, in March 2023, she went back to his rural property in Campania, north-east of Hobart. In the early hours of the morning on March 13, emergency services were called to the house after being told a person was seriously injured by a car. Ms Purton was found by first responders but was pronounced dead at the scene. On Tuesday, prosecutor Heather Denton told the court Austin failed in the use of a motor vehicle to "take reasonable precautions and use reasonable care to avoid danger to human life" by driving the motor vehicle at Ms Purton. Ms Robertson said it was difficult to explain the impact of losing her mum at 20 years old. "My mum was fiery and just a very loyal and protective mother," she said. Ms Roberston and other family members were in court on Tuesday to hear the guilty plea. "We're all present together for these appearances because it's so important that we stand together and show that we are a united front and that we won't let her be forgotten," Ms Robertson said. However, she said being in court was "a gut-wrenching experience". "Seeing him [Austin] in person brings up a lot of trauma. "To have sat there yesterday and seen James smile and smirk whilst they're reading that indictment and whilst pleading guilty, I was so angry with the whole experience," she said. Justice Michael Brett remanded Austin in custody. As he was being led out of the courtroom by police, Ms Robertson's grandmother yelled out: "Hope my daughter haunts you, you scum." He is due to reappear in court at the end of the month for sentencing submissions. Ms Robertson is now advocating for further education around domestic violence in Australia. Earlier this month, she co-organised a gala in Hobart for women affected by domestic and family abuse. "Just because someone has escaped doesn't mean it's over," she said.
