Coroner finds Adrian Bayley should have been in jail when he murdered Jill Meagher

A CORONER has found Jill Meagher’s brutal murder in 2012 could have been prevented and her killer should’ve been in jail.

Murdered Irish woman Jill Meagher on her wedding day. Picture: Wilkinson Ciara

YOU could say Jill Meagher’s tragic murder was a result of her just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But her killer, Adrian Bayley, should not have been on Sydney Road that fateful night in September 2012. He should never have been out of jail.

A coroner’s report into the murder of Ms Meagher has been released, detailing her final moments and how she never should have been killed.

Jill Meagher was killed while walking home after having drinks with co-workers.

Ms Meagher, an Irish national, worked at the ABC and was out having some drinks with co-workers on a Friday night to unwind after the working week.

She had just returned to Melbourne after visiting Ireland for a friend’s wedding.

She got home just three weeks before her murder and was back to support her family after her dad suffered a stroke and was hospitalised.

On September 21, Ms Meagher went to some birthday drinks for her co-worker in the city.

She left with some other colleagues about 9pm and headed back to Brunswick, but stopped for another drink at the Brunswick Green Hotel on Sydney Road.

About 1am, Ms Meagher and a co-worker had one last nightcap at Bar Etiquette before going their separate ways.

Jill Meagher had a drink at Bar Etiquette before walking home.

Ms Meagher’s colleague asked if she wanted to be walked home, but she made the fatal decision of saying no.

She only lived a five-minute walk from the bar, there was no reason for her to feel unsafe.

She was on a busy Melbourne road that was well lit.

As she trekked towards home, she spoke to her brother, who lived in Perth, on the phone and was talking about their father’s health.

Ms Meagher was upset and little did she know of the evil presence following her down the street.

Flowers have been tucked into the corrugated wall that lines one half of the lane way off Hope street in Brunswick where Jill Meagher was attacked.

She hung up the phone and Adrian Bayley stopped Ms Meagher in her tracks.

While revealing most things in detail, the coroner’s report did not say what Bayley said to Ms Meagher at the exact moment he stopped her outside a bridal dress shop.

The report said the pair exchanged words and continued to walk along Sydney Road, which chilling CCTV footage captured.

Ms Meagher then turned off Sydney Road at Hope Street to return home and that was the last time she was seen by anyone but her killer.

The coroner’s report said Bayley attacked Ms Meagher in the first laneway off Hope Street and raped and strangled her until she died.

He left her in the laneway until he returned at 4.22am with his car and shovel.

Adrian Bayley was charged with the murder of Jill Meagher in Melbourne.

Ms Meagher was put in the boot and buried in a shallow grave in Gisborne South.

Bayley, who was out on parole, was arrested about five days later and was charged with rape and murder.

He was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the rape and life imprisonment for murder.

The coronial inquest into Ms Meagher’s murder was held to identify whether Bayley should have been out of jail and to look at procedures of the parole board.

Ms Meagher’s murder also happened within six months of the deaths of Sarah Cafferkey and Sharon Siermans, killed by people who were out on parole or who had just finished their parole period.

Jill Meagher and her husband Tom Meagher.

Coroner Judge Ian Gray said when each of the men were released, they continued to pose a risk to people, particularly women.

“Bayley had a long and disturbing history of violent and sexual offences,” Judge Gray said.

“He was a recidivist violent sexual offender and violent offender who had spent 11 years in prison for numerous violent rapes.”

Judge Gray said Ms Meagher’s death was preventable and he found Bayley should have been in prison months before he killed Ms Meagher because he was involved in an assault in Geelong and he was convicted of recklessly causing serious injury.

“A more rigorous, risk averse approach by Community Correctional Services and the Adult Parole Board would have led to a cancellation of Bayley’s parole either when charged with the Geelong offence, or when convicted in the Magistrate’s Court,” he said.

“The approach taken is difficult to understand.

“If the approach was consistent with Adult Parole Board practice at the time, it was a flawed practice as it did nothing to bring dangerous and high risk parolees immediately to account.

“In this sense it appeared not to prioritise the interests of public safety.”

Reforms put in place since Ms Meagher’s death would now cancel a criminal’s parole if they are convicted while on their parole period.

Originally published as Coroner finds Adrian Bayley should have been in jail when he murdered Jill Meagher