By Goya Dmytryshchak
A Wyndham Vale woman has been sentenced to nine years’ jail for the manslaughter of a man at a Williamstown boarding house.
Daniel “Danny” O’Brien, 37, was stabbed in the chest with a large kitchen knife on December 9, 2016, at the Old Royal Hotel on Nelson Place.
Immediately after stabbing him, Kerry Jones, now 40, picked up their baby and walked across the road to hand herself in to Williamstown police station.
In her sentencing remarks, Supreme Court judge Lesley Taylor this week said Jones and Mr O’Brien had been in a relationship since 2013.
“It was a volatile relationship, marred by illicit drug use and domestic violence,” Justice Taylor said.
“You were both users of ‘ice’ and seemingly chronically short of money.
“Those close to each of you observed you both engage in aggressive behaviour. There were instances of physical violence.”
The court heard that in April 2015, Jones attended Werribee police station to report that Mr O’Brien had grabbed her around the throat, as well as earlier incidents in which he had threatened to harm and kill her.
Mr O’Brien was charged with assault, to which he pleaded guilty.
The police obtained an intervention order on Jones’ behalf and with the support of Anglicare and Yarra Housing, she found independent accommodation.
The court heard that notwithstanding the terms of the intervention order, Jones remained in contact with Mr O’Brien.
In October 2015, Jones again attended Werribee Police Station to report that she had armed herself with a knife after being punched twice in the head by Mr O’Brien, with whom she had become pregnant.
However, she later signed a statement of no complaint.
The same month, police charged Mr O’Brien with breaching an intervention order.
The child was born in May 2016.
The night before Mr O’Brien’s death, Jones organised for another man to drive her and her baby to Williamstown.
“You were seemingly anxious to contact Mr O’Brien, sending 13 text messages and making 54 unanswered calls to him in the space of about two hours,” Justice Taylor said.
“You arrived at the boarding house at approximately 8.35pm and gained access to Mr O’Brien’s room by climbing through the window and unlocking the door. Mr O’Brien returned about 15 minutes later.
“Shortly after midnight, another resident of the boarding house heard a woman’s voice from Mr O’Brien’s room repeatedly shouting, ‘Where is my drugs’.”
The next morning, a different resident and an outside construction worker heard sounds of arguing.
Mr O’Brien had been sitting at a table either preparing a syringe of methylamphetamine for his use or having just used that syringe when he was fatally stabbed.
The court heard Jones had a prior conviction for stabbing the father of her eldest child in 2009, which he survived.
Jones must serve a minimum of seven years before being eligible for parole.
