Steve Egberts, grandfather of Hillier triple murder victims, files formal complaint over ‘personal attack’ by senior DPP staffer
THE grandfather of the children slain at Hillier has filed a formal complaint against a state prosecutor who, he says, subjected him to an “inexcusable personal attack” during the killer’s trial.
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- Grandfather has ‘lost faith’ in prosecutors
- DPP Adam Kimber says he will meet Hillier grandparents
- Hillier triple killer finally confesses to his crimes
- 10 years per life: Hillier triple murderer sentenced
- Hillier victims’ family ‘bewildered’ by ‘lack of justice’
THE grandfather of the children slain at Hillier has filed a formal complaint against a state prosecutor who, he says, subjected him to an “inexcusable personal attack” during the killer’s trial.
Steve Egberts says he was “personally attacked” outside the Supreme Court in January, just minutes after triple murderer Steven Graham Peet finally confessed to his crimes.
He claims a senior prosecutor sought to blame him for delays in the case, took credit for the conviction and told him to “whinge” in his victim impact statement.
Mr Egberts, who is scheduled to meet with Director of Public Prosecutions Adam Kimber on Monday, says he wants the prosecutor’s “snide” behaviour addressed immediately.
“I was ripped into, outside of court on the worst of all days, and I will never forgive them for that,” he said.
“I was dragged down, in my worst possible moment, and it was so insulting as to be beyond belief.”
Mr Egberts’ grandchildren, Amber Rose Rigney, 6, and Korey Lee Mitchell, 5, were murdered alongside their mother, Adeline Yvette Wilson-Rigney, in May 2016.
Peet admitted murdering Ms Wilson-Rigney but denied killing the children, claiming he was in a disassociative state.
That prompted a five-month delay, during which Mr Egberts told The Advertiser he had “lost all faith” in prosecutors who had “misled” his family.
In January, Peet pleaded guilty to murdering the children and was subsequently jailed for life with a 30-year non-parole period.
In his complaint, seen by The Advertiser and filed two days after the confession, Mr Egberts says a senior prosecutor confronted him outside court.
He says the incident, witnessed by a DPP victim support officer, was “nothing short of inexcusable”.
“I was the victim of a personal attack ... (the prosecutor) claimed my participation in the trial was detrimental and the reason for such a lengthy trial,” the complaint asserts.
“He further commented I would now be able to whinge to everybody in my victim impact statement and that only his hard work resulted in the desired outcome.
“While I appreciate the hard work put in by many, he is not one of them ... he appears to be somewhat vengeful after our disgust of his treatment was published in The Advertiser.
“His snide attitude towards us betrays our faith in the system.”
Mr Egberts said Mr Kimber had asked him to postpone his complaint until the end of the trial.
He said he agreed at the time, but he now wanted the matter resolved.
“To blame me for the delays in this case is unacceptable,” he said.
“My family and I have spent 3 ½ years in this, and we still have a long way to go to recover ... it’s daunting.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Kimber did not return calls.
Penalties for triple killers ‘a pure insult’ to victims
ALLOWING multiple murderers to serve single life sentences for their crimes is “an absolute, pure insult” to victims, the grandfather of the children slain at Hillier says.
Steven Egberts on Sunday added his voice to calls for SA to adopt US-style consecutive life sentences for multiple murderers like Hillier triple killer Steven Graham Peet.
He said SA should lead the way in redefining sentencing given the state’s “horrible” reputation for macabre crime.
“Homicides in Adelaide tend to be of a particularly cruel nature ... this place is weird, in terms of how people die, it always seems to have a cruel edge” he said.
“I cannot see any other answer to that than consecutive life sentences ... some people just can’t be cured, can’t be rehabilitated, and I’m absolutely convinced Peet is in that group.”
Peet is serving a 30-year minimum term — five years less than the state’s last triple killer, Jason Alexander Downie, will serve for the 2010 Kapunda murders.
The Homicide Victim Support Group subsequently labelled the sentencing “a joke” and said state law needed an urgent overhaul.
Mr Egberts agreed, saying neither Peet nor Downie’s sentence was sufficient punishment.
“The mandatory minimum penalty for killing one person is 20 years — that means my grandchildren’s lives were worth five years each,” he said.
“That is massively inadequate, beyond comprehension, just tragic and an absolute, pure insult.
“No rational person would think, in 30 or 35 years’ time, that it’s a good idea for these men to be living in their street.”
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