Sean Price appealing to have his life sentence over Masa Vukotic’s murder slashed
Murdered schoolgirl Masa Vukotic’s family has blasted her evil killer, Sean Price, as he makes an audacious bid to get out of jail sooner, accusing him of “playing the system”.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Murdered schoolgirl Masa Vukotic’s family has blasted her evil killer as he makes an audacious bid to get out of jail sooner.
Sean Christian Price, 34, is serving a life sentence that will not see him eligible for parole until he is in his 70s, for the fatal stabbing of Masa at Doncaster in March, 2015.
But on Thursday he will apply to Victoria’s Court of Appeal for special leave to appeal his minimum 38-year jail term, years after the normal time limit to do so.
RELATED CONTENT:
CRAZED PRICE ATTACKED MASA BECAUSE SHE LOOK LIKE SNOW WHITE
SEAN PRICE: INSIDE THE MIND OF A MADMAN
PAROLE BOARD IGNORED WARNINGS ON PRICE
He is expected to claim his mental health was not considered by the sentencing judge in March 2016. The move piles the hurt on to Masa’s family, who will again have to endure a painful court experience.
“There is no end to this,” a family member said on Wednesday night.
“Just when you start coping … this happens. He is just playing the system.”
Masa’s heartbroken family face potentially yet more farcical behaviour from Price in court. The killer has been known to make outbursts in front of judges, with one even having to cut off a video link to him in jail because he continued to make obscene gestures.
Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry jailed Price for life with a non-parole period of 38 years, saying his murder of 17-year-old Masa was at “the extremity of brutality”.
At the time, Price told Justice Lasry he did not deserve leniency, and apologised for his horrific crimes.
An appeal must usually be lodged within 28 days of sentencing.
Justices Simon Whelan, Stephen McLeish and Terry Forrest will oversee Price’s belated appeal bid, to determine firstly if Price can have an extension of time to appeal, and if so, whether Justice Lasry made a sentencing error.
The murder trial heard how Price singled out Masa as a victim because she looked like a “rich yuppie” and a “princess”.
He confessed to police after his arrest: “She started talking to a bird like f-----g Snow White. I f------g started ripping and stabbing.”
Price was on bail and subject to a supervision order at the time.
After stabbing Masa 49 times and fleeing the scene, he went on a two-day crime spree where he violently robbed a man and tried to steal a BMW outside the Sunshine library in the western suburbs. He then raped a woman in a bookstore before handing himself in.
Price pleaded guilty to murder, rape, robbery and attempted theft.
As part of the appeal, Price will also ask for a reduction in a sentence handed down by County Court judge Meryl Sexton in November 2017, for breaching a court order over the rape.
Judge Sexton jailed Price for four years and 11 months, one month shy of the five-year maximum penalty.
She declared: “You are now and will remain a significant danger to the community in the immediate future.”
Legal Aid has been met with criticism in the past for funding Price’s legal battles, but it is not involved in his appeal bid.
“We have not received an application for funding in this matter,” a Legal Aid spokeswoman said.
It is understood a lawyer has taken on the case pro bono.
Price’s appeal bid comes as the funeral of Melbourne’s latest victim of a fatal random attack, Aiia Maasarwe, 21, is held in Israel.
Her killing in Bundoora early last Wednesday has been a painful reminder to the Vukotic family.
“It has been hard for the family seeing yet another story make the headlines of a young girl killed,” a family friend said.
“This appeal has just added to that pain.”