AN inquest will be held into last year’s murder of Bacchus Marsh woman Sarah Cafferkey.
Coroner Ian Gray last week confirmed to Ms Cafferkey’s mother, Noelle Dickson, at a separate coronial inquest that he would preside over a probe into the death of her 22-year-old daughter.
Ms Cafferkey was stabbed to death by Steven James Hunter, 47, at his Bacchus Marsh unit on November 10 last year. Hunter admitted he stabbed Ms Cafferkey 19 times to the head, neck, chest and abdomen. Her body was found encased in cement in a wheelie bin at a Point Cook house on November 17. Hunter was arrested three days later.
After Hunter pleaded guilty to Ms Cafferkey’s murder, Justice Elizabeth Curtain noted his prior criminal history was so extensive she would not read it out to the court.
A date for the inquest into Ms Cafferkey’s death is yet to be set.
Ms Dickson attended last week’s inquest into the murder of a Hoppers Crossing woman by her partner who had been on parole. Three other women whose daughters were killed by parolees also attended.
The women were invited to make submissions about possible shortcomings of the state parole system.
But it was ruled that Ms Dickson could not make a submission because Hunter’s parole period finished nine days before the murder.
He had previously served 13 years in prison for murdering 18-year-old Jacqueline Mathews in 1986, after she rejected his advances.
Outside court, Ms Dickson said she was angry the justice system had released a convicted killer to let him murder again. She said it was “heartbreaking” to hear stories of other families whose lives had been torn apart.
“While he was off parole, I believe he had so many breaches of his parole and his parole was never revoked,” she said.
“I want to know what they’re going to do to improve our system. If faults have been made, we need to address them so we can move forward.”
