My verdict is justice failed my hero son Craig Jephcott: Mum

Craig Jephcott was stabbed to death trying to stop a fight. Three decades on, his mother says his killer’s legal journey and short jail term expose a failed system.

Schoolteacher Craig Jephcott, left, died 30 years ago this week after he intervened to stop a fight between a student and Graeme MacDonald, bottom right. MacDonald stabbed him with a fishing knife, top right. Craig's mother, Margaret Jephcott, main picture, says the MacDonald's sentence and legal journey exposed failings in the justice system. Pictures: News Corp/Supplied

Thirty years on from her son Craig’s fatal stabbing, Margaret Jephcott still thinks the justice system failed.

But with time comes healing.

Craig Jephcott, who mates called “Jephy”, has an enduring legacy after his tragic death in Sydney at 21 in 1993.

To this day Mrs Jephcott said she still gets invited on nights out and other big events by Craig’s mates from university.

Special occasions are even marked with a glass of wine to remember Craig.

Margaret Jephcott, whose son Craig was murdered at Coogee Beach 30 years ago, pictured at home in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. Picture Lachie Millard

“I’m very lucky that I always get invited out on a few weekends away and in Sydney, I’m very honoured in that regard,” Mrs Jephcott said from her Sunshine Coast home.

But there is always a missing presence when it comes to Christmas and birthdays.

“It’s still very hard,” Mrs Jephcott said.

Craig Jephcott, aged 21, on his graduation day. Picture: Supplied

Craig’s grave. Picture: Supplied

“Craig was energetic, funny and loving, he had such an infectious smile and whenever he was around there was something going on.

“To lose all that is quite sad, when it is (a violent stabbing) you feel it was such an unnecessary and horrible thing.”

Schoolteacher Craig died 30 years ago this week after he intervened to stop a fight between a student and a fisherman named Graeme MacDonald and was stabbed.

The student in the scuffle was accused by MacDonald of rifling through his bag and stealing car keys before Craig, without a thought, stepped in.

Margaret Jephcott gives a press conference after a court decision to quash a five-year good behaviour bond imposed on Graeme MacDonald for her son's 1993 murder, and sentence him to minimum of three years jail. Picture: News Corp

He was the only person among about 30 witnesses who intervened when MacDonald could be seen confronting the boy with a knife and dragging him down the street.

To this day Craig’s friends, family and former colleagues remember him as the hero teacher who selflessly gave his life to save a young boy.

When his killer Graeme MacDonald went to trial, the first fell over in 1995 when all but one juror came back with a guilty verdict for murder. Under the laws of the day, the court was unable to accept a majority verdict and the jury was discharged.

The choice of that one juror still leaves a scar to this day, and it is something Mrs Jephcott hopes no family has to endure ever again.

Had her son’s killer been on trial for murder in Queensland at the time, the same decision by the jury would have seen MacDonald jailed for 25 years.

‘I DON’T THINK THAT’S JUSTICE’

“It’s a shocking thing that one (juror) couldn’t go up to murder from manslaughter,” Mrs Jephcott said.

“After three days to have a hung jury I don’t think that is justice.”

The kicker for the family was that MacDonald was released on bail and was immediately spotted celebrating at the beach where he killed Craig.

The second trial saw MacDonald eventually plead guilty to manslaughter and with time served on remand he was released on a five-year good behaviour bond.

Because he spent 16 months in custody awaiting trial MacDonald was allowed to walk free from the courthouse.

MacDonald even went as far as telling a Telegraph reporter after his release that the whole thing was “accidental”, bizarrely laying blame on the children who Craig Jephcott was supervising.

“Those kids … were responsible for a lot of events that happened at Coogee,” he said at the time.

“If they would have told the teacher they knew where the car keys were, it would have been all over with.

Then-Premier Bob Carr led the charge to appeal the sentence, forcing the Attorney-General to successfully appeal.

Graeme MacDonald outside court.

Graeme MacDonald fishing at Malabar Beach after he was given a five-year good behaviour bond for stabbing Craig Jephcott, stabbing him to death.

MacDonald was then sent back to jail for another 11 months, but for Craig’s family it was never enough.

The premier also changed laws, allowing for a guilty verdict to stand if 10 out of 12 jurors agree on the same decision thanks to Craig’s case.

When he was eventually released from Long Bay Jail and tracked down to a home in Little Bay, he told a Telegraph reporter: “I have done my time, it’s all over mate”.

Making things worse, MacDonald was released on the three year anniversary of the day he killed Craig.

To this day, even after the community outrage at the time, the Jephcott family still struggle to understand how such a short sentence could have been handed down.

‘I COULD NEVER FORGIVE HIM’

“I don’t think we got justice,” Mrs Jephcott said.

“They only gave him another year. You can’t value a life like that, Craig was an innocent bystander, an innocent person trying to protect a little boy.”

“It does still bother me. I couldn’t believe they let him go back to Coogee Beach that day.

“No, I could never forgive him (MacDonald) Craig was an innocent young teacher, he was full of life enjoying his life in Sydney, he had marvellous friends, he had a whole future and a lifetime ahead of him.”

Flicking through photo albums showing Craig’s early years growing up in Noosa from her Maroochydore home, it remains hard for his mother not to shed a tear.

In the immediate years after her son’s death she would say good morning to Craig when she passed the cemetery he was laid to rest in on her way to work each day.

Craig had already packed so much into his 21 year, spending six months on exchange in Nebraska and getting a plum teaching gig in Randwick straight out of university.

He was a promising sportsman as a teen, representing the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay in football, medalling at the Sunshine Beach Surf Club and playing rugby union at the University of New England at Lismore.

Despite the tragedy, there is still the odd smile thinking of Craig and for his mother a mission to share her message with other grieving families.

“My advice to other families going through this is to take one day at a time, grief overtakes you if you keep in your home and just think about things,” Mrs Jephcott said.

“Probably how I’ve coped is I’ve always tried to keep busy, I didn’t retire until I was 70, I just felt keeping busy and having lots of company has helped me.

“You are better off going to a friend.”

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