Prosecutors appeal against nine-year sentence given to Borce Ristevski for wife Karen’s death
Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the nine-year manslaughter sentence handed to Borce Ristevski for killing his wife Karen.
Law & Order
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Prosecutors have appealed against the nine-year prison term imposed on Borce Ristevski for killing his wife, Karen.
Last month’s sentence, which could see Ristevski freed after serving a non-parole term of six years, met with widespread public outrage.
With time already served, he could be out on the streets as early as 2023.
The Director of Public Prosecutions will now challenge that sentence in the Court of Appeal, arguing that it is manifestly inadequate.
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The maximum penalty for manslaughter is 20 years’ jail.
Ristevski, 55, who had been charged with murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the eve of his trial. The charge was downgraded after the trial judge ruled his conduct after the killing could not be relied on to prove murderous intent.
Ristevski lied to police, saying his wife disappeared from their Avondale Heights home in June 2016 when she went for a walk to clear her head after an argument over money.
Prosecutors said Mrs Ristevski had been killed at home, where she should have felt safe, by a husband of 27 years she had trusted, and so despite the mystery of how she died, it was a serious case of manslaughter. His later lies, lack of remorse, and refusal to say how she died were inconsistent with any other interpretation.
He said that made it impossible to determine the seriousness of Ristevski’s crime when compared with other cases of manslaughter.
“You may have turned off the road of deceit, but you have not taken the high road of full and frank disclosure, consistent with true remorse,” he said.
“Without knowing the level and duration of violence perpetrated by you which caused your wife’s death, I simply cannot say whether your offending was mid- or upper-range,” Justice Beale said.
Mrs Ristevski’s family have slammed the jail term imposed as an injustice.
Shadow attorney general Ed O’Donohue last night welcomed the decision of the DPP to appeal against the sentence.
“Under (Premier) Daniel Andrews, Victoria doesn’t have a justice system, we have a legal system,” he said.
“The Liberal-Nationals believe it is the job of parliament to fix the deep flaws in Victoria’s sentencing laws,” the Liberal MP said.
“Daniel Andrews should put politics aside and work with us in the parliament to make the necessary reforms to Victoria’s homicide laws — including family violence homicide — so that the expectations of the community are met and there’s a clear message of deterrence to would-be offenders,” he said.