Grieving family of family slain at Hillier ask Supreme Court to bring justice to bear on triple murderer Steven Graham Peet
THE grandmothers of two children slain at Hillier has told a court they loved them “more than life itself” — and that discovering the way they died has killed them as well.
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THE grandmothers of two children slain at Hillier have told a court they loved them “more than life itself” — and that discovering the way they died has killed them as well.
On Friday, grieving grandmother Janet Wells urged the Supreme Court to balance the scales of justice for her “beautiful angels”, Amber Rose Rigney and Korey Lee Mitchell.
In her victim impact statement, read to the court, Ms Wells said she had decided against addressing the court due to the trauma caused by triple murderer Steven Graham Peet.
She changed her mind, however, upon seeing the pain endured by her husband, Steven Egberts — and drawing strength from him.
“I looked beside me at a broken man who constantly has tears in his eyes ... in his pain I found a strength to say a few things,” she said.
“I loved our babies more than life itself and knowing now, how they died, kills me ... it’s a vision that I can never stop thinking about ... it hurts so bad.
“I will always, I mean always yearn for our angels to be back in my arms safe and sound and this time I would never let them go, ever.
“All we ask is for the scales of justice to balance and give us the chance to finally be able to grieve our precious babies and their mum.”
Peet, 31, will serve an automatic life sentence and faces a mandatory minimum non-parole period of 20 years.
He fatally bashed Ms Wilson-Rigney, 28, before binding, gagging and killing Amber, 6, and Korey, 5, at the family’s Hillier home in May 2016.
Peet admitted murdering Ms Wilson-Rigney — his then partner — but pleaded not guilty to having murdered her children.
He pointed to a psychological report, suggesting he may have been in a “disassociative state” at the time, as proof he was not legally liable for their deaths.
After five months of expert analysis — during which time Mr Egberts lost all faith in prosecutors — the psychologist revised his opinion and Peet pleaded guilty.
In her impact statement on Friday, Ms Wells said she could not “find the words to describe my pain and empty feeling”.
“I was there in the delivery room, holding Yvette’s hand, as she gave birth to both Amber and Korey,” she said.
“I had my first hold within minutes after they were born ... that’s where our bond started.
“We visited those three nearly everyday, we could not get enough of their cuteness ... we had lots of sleepovers and made many, many happy memories.
“I loved being a nanna, I loved being their nanna, and there was absolutely nothing we wouldn’t do for them.”
She said the day of the murders “replays in my mind all the time”.
“The ‘what ifs’ or the ‘should haves’ are the worst ... scenarios go on in my head constantly,” she said.
“I cry hysterically over it when I’m alone ... nobody or nothing can ever take this pain away.
“All I can do is a day at a time ... they say time will heal, but I am never going to heal.”
Ms Wells said neither she nor Mr Egberts have slept peacefully, or even often, since the murders.
“But there is one thing I can guarantee — when we both close our eyes, we see their beautiful little faces,” she said.
The children’s maternal grandmother, Donna Rigney, wept as she read her statement.
She said the day of the murders was the most painful of her life.
“I wanted to die as well, I wanted to die instantly and be with Yvette and the kids but I couldn’t,” she said.
“The pain you have caused me and my family have caused overwhelming grief every day and night ... I’m still crying every day and night.
“It was like, when you did this evil act to Yvette, Amber and Korey, evil entered our life because I lost everything.”
Ms Rigney said she and her family would keep the trio alive in their memories.
“All I want to say to you is may God have mercy on your soul, because God is who you will have to face when you leave this Earth,” she said.
When his trial first began last year, Peet sought to blame Ms Wilson-Rigney’s conduct for the murder.
He claimed she had subjected him to domestic violence while intoxicated by alcohol and drugs.
On Friday, defence barrister Bill Boucaut SC renewed those claims — but insisted he was not minimising Peet’s guilt nor seeking to “speak ill” of Ms Wilson-Rigney.
“Peet feels a very deep sense of shame and regret over what has happened ... it was never meant to happen,” he said.
“He held Ms Wilson-Rigney in a great deal of affection and loved her children.
“That makes this difficult to understand — this man loved those children, which is such a hard thing to rationalise when you look at the outcome.”
Mr Boucout said his client claimed Ms Wilson-Rigney had struck, bashed and kicked him on numerous occasions, and once ran him over with her car.
He said she taunted Peet about his erectile dysfunction — which Peet also blamed on her violence — and had once tied his son, 10, up with cable ties.
“He never once, on my instructions, retaliated ... he just stood there and took it ... there’s some (comparison) to what used to be called ‘battered wife’s syndrome’,” he said.
Mr Boucaut said that, on the day of the murder, Ms Wilson-Rigney “went mental” when Peet would not have sex with her and he “reacted”.
He suggested Peet may have killed the children because two Families SA workers knocked on the door — but said his client did not really know what had occurred.
“In respect of the children, he professes limited recollection as to what happened there,” he said.
“Some people who are present when trauma occurs, even if it’s brought about by their own hand, choose not to remember as a coping mechanism.”
Tim Preston, prosecuting, asked the court to reject Peet’s version of events and accept a more simple, direct motive.
“The most obvious explanation for Ms Wilson-Rigney’s death is anger on Peet’s behalf,” he said.
“The most obvious explanation for killing the children is they witnessed the murder of their mother.”
“We urge caution in accepting Peet’s story as to what occurred ... (his conduct at trial) betrays a degree of maouevring to lessen his culpability.”
Mr Boucaut dismissed that as “slightly speculative” and “a long bow to draw”.
Justice Malcolm Blue said he did not see how he could resolve the dispute without hearing further submissions, and urged both sides to further negotiate.
He remanded Peet in custody for further submissions on Wednesday.
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