Nurse Mary Wallace’s family share their grief at killer Robert John Adams’ sentencing hearing
AT A sentencing hearing for nurse Mary Wallace’s killer, a court heard Robert John Adams had been free for 33 years to live a normal life while Ms Wallace’s family suffered “grief heaped upon grief”.
NSW
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IT WAS Elizabeth McGirr’s birthday when her sister, Mary Wallace, went missing after a night out with friends at Crows Nest in 1983.
Mary, a nurse, was raped and strangled to death by a man who had pretended to be a policeman when he picked up Ms Wallace at the Alpine Inn.
But it would be 30 years until Robert John Adams was charged with murder after advances in technology were able to identify a hair found in the boot of his car as belonging to Ms Wallace.
Today, Ms McGirr stood metres away from her sister’s killer and explained to the NSW Supreme Court how she had endured sleepless nights when her children began to socialise at night — worried they would never return home like her sister.
“She died on my birthday — I have not been able to celebrate my birthday since that day,” Ms McGirr said.
“Mary will always remain in my heart — I miss her every day.”
Ms Wallace’s other sister Anne Fraser spoke of the “unbearable” grief of losing her “baby” sister and how her parents went to their graves wondering what had happened to their daughter.
“The way she died still haunts us — the fact that her body has not been found adds to our grief,” Ms Fraser said.
She spoke about the agony she endured thinking of how her sister suffered and the pain of never knowing the children she may have had.
“[She was] a beautiful, gentle person much loved by all our family and friends,” she said.
Ms Fraser also spoke of her anguish when her grown children went out at night.
“A mother who was only too aware of how a night might end, I still fear for their safety even though they are adults.”
Adams was found guilty of murder by Justice Richard Button in November last year after a judge alone trial.
During the sentencing hearing Crown Prosecutor Mark Hobart SC explained how the killer had been free for 33 years to live a normal life while Ms Wallace’s family suffered “grief heaped upon grief”.
“This offender was living a normal life …. he was married and had children, he lived in the suburbs and brought up a family,” Mr Hobart said
Ms Wallace, a Hunters Hill Private Hospital nurse, was last seen getting into Adams’ car outside the Alpine Inn wine bar about 4am on Saturday, September 24, 1983.
At the time of finding Adams guilty, Justice Button also found he had raped three other women who gave tendency evidence during the murder trial.
“The accused treated the deceased very much as an object, just as he had treated three other young women.”
As his other victims gave harrowing evidence of their rapes, Adams appeared blank faced and showed no emotion as he chewed gum and did word puzzles in the dock.
Adams has refused to admit he killed Ms Wallace, has shown no remorse and maintained he drove her away from the Crows Nest bar before pulling his car over where the pair started “playing” sexually with each other.
His version of events was that he passed out when he woke up Ms Wallace had vanished.
Despite extensive police searches — including the Lane Cove National Park — Ms Wallace’s body has never been found.
The convicted killer asked if he could be excused from appearing in court at his sentencing in two week’s time.
Justice Button said he would be required to face the court in person.
Adams will be sentenced on March 3.
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