Murder of the worst kind - life in jail for Carl Williams' killer Matthew Charles Johnson
THE killer of gangland boss Carl Williams was jailed for life over the "appalling murder" carried out because of a "meaningless code".
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THE killer of gangland boss Carl Williams was yesterday jailed for life over the "appalling murder" carried out because of a "meaningless underworld prison code".
Matthew Charles Johnson, 38, bashed Williams with the stem of an exercise bike seat in their high security Barwon Prison unit in April last year.
Yesterday, Victorian Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry ordered Johnson to serve at least 32 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
"This was an appalling murder and is offending near the top of any notional range of offending," Justice Lasry said.
Carl Williams' killer jailed for life
"It was a killing which appears to demonstrate your belief that you have some special entitlement to kill when you think it appropriate or your ego demands it, according to some meaningless underworld prison code.
"I am left with no choice but to punish what you have done with an appropriately heavy sentence."
Johnson had argued at his trial that he killed Williams in self-defence, but a jury rejected that argument. Justice Lasry said in his opinion the defence was fanciful.
He said he sentenced Johnson on the basis that he murdered Williams not out of any need to defend himself, but because he knew Williams was providing assistance to Victoria Police.
Johnson sat resolutely and listened with his head tilted back through the 14-minute delivery of the sentence.
Williams' former wife Roberta Williams and their 10-year-old daughter Dhakota were in court for the sentencing, as was his father George Williams.
Ms Williams, carrying her baby son Giuseppe, left court without speaking to waiting media.
During Johnson's three-week trial in September, the court heard how Williams had bragged to fellow prisoners of his involvement in at least 15 murders, three of which he said he had committed personally.
He was serving four life sentences for murder at the time of his death.