Richard Peter Coburn: Killer of Sunshine Coast barmaid Justine Jones dies in shock car crash

A New Zealand killer who wrapped his Sunshine Coast girlfriend’s body in a doona and dumped her at a tip has died in a car crash after being released from jail.

Richard Peter Coburn was sentenced to more than 10 years' jail for the manslaughter of girlfriend Justine Jones, 22, in 2010.

A Kiwi killer who dumped his Queensland girlfriend’s body in a bin has died in a car accident.

Richard Peter Coburn was sentenced to more than 10 years’ jail for the manslaughter of girlfriend Justine Jones, 22, in 2010.

But he was deported to New Zealand in 2015 after serving just over five-and-a-half years in jail for killing Ms Jones on the Sunshine Coast.

After being free to go about his life in New Zealand, Coburn was seriously injured in a two-vehicle car accident in South Taranaki on the country’s north island about 3am on March 20.

Richard Peter Coburn in 2010. Photo: Contributed

The 40-year-old died five days later from his injuries.

Ms Jones’ family told The Courier-Mail that Coburn’s death had not given them any closure.

“Nothing’s changed for us,” Justine’s sister Jackie Johnson said.

“Everyone’s kind of lost, you know, like there’s just such a waste of life on both sides. And everyone’s been hurt by it.

“He refused to speak, he showed no remorse. He just shut his mouth and he got away with it pretty much. And then five years later, he gets released from prison and sent back over to beautiful New Zealand to live out the rest of his life that was really hard to swallow.

Alexandra Headland barmaid Justine Jones who was killed in her unit and then dumped in a wheelie bin. Picture: Contributed

“But I guess this happening - I was talking to mum about it yesterday - we don’t feel happy. It’s not like a happy or sad thing.

“We’re still empty. But I don’t believe he should have ever been released from prison for what he did to her and this is just the universe kind of balancing things out I believe. Like karma works in mysterious ways.”

Coburn violently assaulted Ms Jones after drinking wine with her in her Alexandra Heads unit in 2010 before he wrapped her body in a doona and dumped her in a wheelie bin.

She was found eight days later at the Nambour transfer station.

Alexandra Headland girl Justine Jones was found at Nambour Dump.

Her family were devastated that he spent just a small time in jail for killing Ms Jones before being deported.

“It’s just sad because we don’t really know what happened to her and her final moments because he never spoke and now we’ll never get those answers,” Ms Johnson said.

“Not that he’d ever probably admit it, but everything’s kind of gone to the grave with him.”

Ms Johnson said she was 24 when her sister died and there wasn’t a day she didn’t think about her.

“She was such a soft, kind-hearted girl,” she said of Justine.

“And I believe that some of those traits, women become victimised by these blokes who know how to weasel their way back in time and time again after they hurt this person. And I think that was her.

Parents of the accused Richard Peter Coburn leaving Maroochydore court. Picture: File

“Her downfall was she was too trusting and forgiving, and she didn’t think that this would ever happen to her even though you know the writing was on the walls with all the previous instances where he’s like, choked her out in the bathroom and glassed her.

“There were instances of him like glassing her and her having to get, you know, 20 stitches in her back, only a couple of months before he killed her.”

Ms Johnson urged family and friends of people they suspect to be involved in domestic violence to speak up and help them.

She said one person who had contacted her had themselves escaped domestic violence after they had read about Justine’s tragedy.