Shawn Armitage, Matthew Armitage, William Dean win appeal over Shaun Barker death

The trio convicted of the 2014 manslaughter of 33-year-old Shaun Barker, whose charred remains were found in forestry near Gympie, have been sentenced a second time after new errors were found.

The jail time of Stephen Armitage (pictured), Matthew Armitage and William Dean have been cut by six months on appeal after it was found the sentencing judge erred. Picture: Supplied

Three men jailed for the manslaughter death of Shaun Matthew Barker, whose remains were found in the Toolara Forestry, have each had almost six months slashed from their sentence.

Stephen John Armitage, Matthew Leslie Armitage, and William Francis Dean were jailed for the death of the 33-year-old Mr Barker, who was kidnapped from the Gold Coast, tortured and kept in an esky osome time between December 9, 2013 and April 11, 2014.

His charred and scattered remains were found in the Toolara Forestry near Cooloola Cove.

The trio were found guilty of murder, torture, and interfering with a corpse in 2017.

Shaun Barker’s remains were found in the Toolara Forest. Photo Contributed

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Barker was a known drug dealer and ice addict, who was believed to owe a significant debt and have information about missing money.

The three men successfully appealed their murder and torture convictions after it was found the evidence was equally open that Mr Barker died from “either reckless indifference or neglect to his welfare”.

They were then handed manslaughter convictions instead.

However, they succeeded on a second appeal against their new sentences with the crown conceding the judge failed to take into proper account non declarable pre-sentence custody for the Armitages.

Matthew Leslie Armitage (pictured), Stephen John Armitage and William Francis Dean each had almost six months slashed from their sentences over Shaun Barker’s death. Picture: Supplied

This error was not conceded for Dean, but the court found his reduced sentence was still affected by it.

Stephen Armitage was given a new 11-and-a-half year jail term; Matthew Armitage was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years’ imprisonment; and Dean was sentenced to 11-and-a-half years jail.

All had time already served declared.

Under the new sentences Stephen Armitage will remain behind bars until April 2026, Matthew Armitage until April 2024, and Dean until at least April 2026, when he becomes eligible for parole.