Ricky John Williams, 44, has been sentenced to 24 years behind bars after fatally stabbing his ex-partner, Carmen Niklaus, at a regional Victorian caravan park during December 2021.
Key points:
- Ricky Williams will be eligible for parole in 18 years, having already served 529 days in custody
- The court previously heard Williams stabbed his ex-partner multiple times in a caravan park
- Williams did not call triple-zero or render aid after the fatal attack in 2021
Williams had earlier pleaded guilty to murder in the Supreme Court at Wangaratta.
The court heard Ms Niklaus had said "please don't hurt me" to Williams before he stabbed her a second and third time.
She had caught a taxi to the Everton caravan park where Williams was living the day of the murder after getting into an argument with him, despite a court-ordered apprehended violence order preventing Williams from contacting her
During sentencing at the Wangaratta Supreme Court, Justice John Champion said Ms Niklaus was defenceless and vulnerable.
"She was in a highly vulnerable state," he said.
"She was your ex-partner who you maintained some degree of contact with and claimed to love.
"The courts must strongly denounce this type of conduct within our community."
An act of anger
Justice Champion said the attack was not premeditated but likely an act of anger and frustration over Williams' perception that their relationship was based on lies and that she did not love him but was using him.
Ms Niklaus was drug-affected at the time of the murder and had defence wounds on her hands.
She had expressed her desire to leave the caravan before Williams grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed her.
"You had the opportunity to stop the attack," Justice Champion said.
He said Ms Niklaus would have expected love, support and compassion from Williams.
Despite making several phone calls to his son and case worker directly after the murder, Williams did not attempt to render aid or call triple-zero.
A neighbour called for help after Ms Nikalus was spotted laying on the floor naked and covered in blood but still alive.
She was pronounced dead shortly after an ambulance arrived.
A violent history
The court previously heard the pair were in a de facto relationship but were not together at the time.
It heard Williams had an acquired brain injury from when he was knocked unconscious as a teenager in a fight and hit his head.
Justice Champion was not satisfied there was any link between his brain injury or other mental disorders and his actions.
The court heard Williams had a history of violence, having committed multiple serious crimes in the past including assault, burglary and threats to kill and had numerous breaches of family violence orders.
Lawyers representing Williams told the court he had accepted complete responsibility for his actions and showed immediate and genuine remorse.
But Justice Champion said evidence of remorse was somewhat mixed.
Williams will be eligible for parole in 18 years, having already served 529 days in pre-sentence custody.