Nowra District Court: Phillip Baldwin to be sentenced after ‘twisted’ suicide pact

A former police officer who helped end his wife’s life in a “twisted” suicide pact on the NSW south coast is set for sentencing more than a year after the incident.

Phillip Baldwin pleaded guilty to assisting in his wife's death in a "twisted" suicide pact in Bomaderry on the NSW south coast last year. Picture: Supplied

A former police officer who helped end his wife’s life in a “twisted” suicide pact on the NSW south coast is set to be sentenced.

Phillip Baldwin, 72, previously pleaded guilty in the Nowra Local Court to a charge of aid and abet suicide of another, after helping his wife, Joanne Maree Baldwin, 68, end her life in July last year.

The matter was heard in the Nowra District Court on Monday, where Baldwin’s lawyer, Claire Carpenter, along with Crown prosecutor Abbey Bojanic, confirmed a sentencing date for the former Bomaderry man.

Documents tendered to the court state Baldwin, now of Victoria, assisted in Ms Baldwin’s death on the morning of July 4 last year in Bomaderry, after the pair agreed to kill each other in a suicide pact.

Police documents reveal Baldwin was employed as a senior constable in Sydney between 1971 and 1996.

Joanne Maree Baldwin was found dead in the backyard of her Bomaderry home. Picture: Supplied

Agreed facts state it was prolonged and intense family drama which resulted in the suicide pact, described by someone close to the case as “twisted”.

Police documents reveal a final text was sent to the pair’s children and stepchildren days before the pact, simply reading “goodbye”.

Joanne Maree Baldwin, 68, was found dead at the Bomaderry property on David Pl. Picture: Tom McGann.

On June 5, a month before the planned suicide, the pair signed their will and power of attorney documents, before finally on July 2, Baldwin emailed his former employer, telling them to go his property on July 3 for a welfare check.

By this point, the pair had organised their funeral.

Agreed facts reveal at 12.30pm on July 4, Baldwin called triple-0 and informed officers his wife had died in the backyard that morning.

Agreed facts state once paramedics arrived, Baldwin informed them to stay calm, before revealing his wife was dead.

Phillip Baldwin will be sentenced in the Nowra District Court on August 19. Picture: Dylan Arvela

He also told the paramedics he attempted to take his own life as part of a suicide pact, albeit without success.

Agreed facts state Baldwin was speaking normally and seemed uninjured.

Paramedics found Ms Baldwin’s deceased body sitting in a camp chair in a blue gown.

Next to the deceased was a letter written by the 72-year-old man, stating the pair attempted multiple methods, but decided to take “no more hit or misses”.

The paramedics determined the 68-year-old had been dead for 20 minutes.

Baldwin was taken to the Nowra police station, where he revealed he helped his wife with the suicide.

Emergency services were called to the home on David Pl in July last year. Picture: Tom McGann.

“You can write that down,” he said.

“I’m not trying to hide that fact, I’m not trying to sugar coat anything and if it means I get charged with something, then so be it.”

Following investigations, Baldwin was arrested and charged on August 25.

After entering a plea of guilty in the Nowra Local Court on May 14 this year, Baldwin’s matter was heard in the Nowra District Court on August 5, where a sentence date was set.

In NSW courts, the maximum penalty for Baldwin’s charge is 10 years imprisonment.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Ms Carpenter, said she expected the sentencing to take three hours.

Judge Jennifer English adjourned the case for sentencing in the Nowra District Court on August 19.

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