Man who killed Irish jeweller in Australia jailed for 27 years
A man who stabbed and killed a 64-year-old Irishman in Australia has been sentenced to 27 years in jail.
Dermot O'Toole - originally from Dublin - was murdered in his jewellery shop, The Jewel Shed, in Hastings in Victoria on July 12, 2013.
Mr O'Toole's wife, Bridget, was also stabbed a number of times in the botched robbery.
Killer Gavin Perry, 27, pleaded guilty to murder, armed robbery and intentionally causing injury. He said he was high on the drug 'ice' when he carried out the attack.
Sentencing Perry, Australian Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said that this was no excuse, The Age reported.
Justice Hollingworth said the fact that Perry, who had more than 200 previous convictions, had been on parole for previous armed robberies at the time was an 'aggravating feature' of his crime.
Speaking outside court, Mrs O'Toole and her three sons said their family had been failed by the state's parole system, and said they were 'devastated' by the 27-year jail term handed to Perry.
"Totally devastated with today's sentence for Gavin Perry - 27 years with a non-parole period of only 23 years," son Trent O'Toole said on Facebook.
"Of those 27 years, 5 of them are for 2 of the armed robberies that he committed in the week prior.
"Therefore he was only sentenced for 22 years for the horrific crimes he committed on July 12 last year. 20 years for Dad's murder and only 2 years for Mum's injuries.
"It is completely unjust considering he has 200+ prior convictions, committed armed robberies while on bail for his previous jail term and has broken parole twice.
"Gavin Perry is a career criminal and I fear the devastation he will bring to more families when he is eventually released."
