Jason Hawkins, Stephen Garland jailed for murder of Stockton grandmother Stacey Klimovitch

A “thug” from Canberra and a former bikie boss involved in the execution style murder of a much-loved Newcastle grandmother have learned their fate. Read what happened in court.

The crime scene at the Queen St, Stockton home. Picture: Emily Burley.

A “thug” from Canberra and a former bikie boss involved in the execution style murder of a much-loved Newcastle grandmother, callously blasted in the chest in her own home, have now learned their fate with the shooter set to spend at least 24 years behind bars.

Jason Paul Hawkins, 48, from Canberra cowardly walked up to the front door of Stacey Klimovitch at her Stockton home on June 9, 2021, before he yelled out “Stacey”, waited for her to open the door and pulled the trigger.

The court heard how Ms Klimovitch’s daughter Alex, who was at the Queen St home at the time, ran to her mother’s aid as she bled on the doorstep.

Hawkins was hired by Stuart David Campbell, the ex-partner of Alex, following simmering tensions over family issues.

The court heard the grandmother slapped Campbell in the face and warned him away from the family more than two months prior to the murder.

Stacey Klimovitch was shot dead at Stockton at her front door. Picture: Facebook.

Jason Paul Hawkins was sentenced to 32 years, non-parole 24 years for shooting murder of Ms Klimovitch. Picture: Facebook

The court heard “mastermind” Campbell was Hawkins’ drug supplier and employer, and there was somewhat “financial motive” for what was labelled a “contract killing”.

Despite telling a jury he was unaware of a kill plot in the lead up to the brutal shooting and that he was “stitched” up by Campbell - who has since taken his own life while behind bars waiting for a trial - a jury took just over two days in December last year to convict the killer.

In Newcastle Supreme Court on Friday Hawkins faced a full courtroom of friends and family members as he was sentenced to 32 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 24 years which means he won’t be eligible for release until 2045.

Justice Peter Hamill said he wasn’t satisfied Hawkins drove specifically from Canberra to Newcastle to carry out the murder, as he mentioned a delivery of drugs, but that he was “actively involved” in the planning.

“This was a premediated assassination, this was not spontaneous,” Mr Hamill said.

He told the court there were steps taken by Hawkins to hide the offending and labelled it a “very grave example” of the crime of murder.

Former Nomads bikie Stephen Garland was the getaway driver in the murder.

The court also heard Hawkins showed no remorse and denied his involvement giving a “fanciful” account of the murder.

Former bikie boss Stephen Garland, 66, was the getaway driver in the shocking murder and he was also sentenced on Friday to eight and a half years jail with a non-parole of four a half years after he was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter during a trial in November last year.

The court heard Campbell called in a favour from the former national treasurer of the Nomads bikie gang to drive the assassin to and from the crime scene that fateful night.

It was further heard Garland gathered with Hawkins and Campbell at a home in Heddon Greta before the murder and that he thought Hawkins was a “thug” that had come up from Canberra to bash someone.

Ms Klimovitch was described as a caring and protective woman. Picture: Facebook

Mr Hamill said he was satisfied Garland knew Hawkins was there to commit a violent and dangerous act but knew little of the plan of murder and was kept in the dark of the criminal enterprise.

During a sentence hearing earlier this week, three of Ms Klimovitch’s daughters and her sister stood up in court to confront her killers, saying her murder had broken their family and they continued to suffer from the grief of losing a “caring and protective” woman.

The court heard of Ms Klimovitch’s service to the community as a swimming instructor and her love of teaching kids to swim, watching neighbours, the band Skyhooks and singer Rod Stewart.

“Someone who was special, who played a role in all our lives. I’ll miss calling her to chat and annoying her. I would give anything to get my mum back,” daughter Alex said in a statement read out to court on Tuesday.