Confessed killer Robert Rickerby pleads guilty to manslaughter of young mum Jessica Geddes

The family of Jessica Geddes has slammed a plea deal that saw the young mum’s confessed killer plead guilty to manslaughter on the eve of his murder trial.

Jessica Geddes tragically died on November 6, 2020 in Endeavour Hills. Police are still investigating her death.

A grieving mother has slammed a plea deal that saw her daughter’s confessed killer plead guilty to manslaughter on the eve of his murder trial.

Robert Rickerby called triple-0 to his Endeavour Hills home, where authorities found his girlfriend Jessica Geddes with 16 rib fractures, facial injuries and naked from the waist down in a bedroom in 2020.

The coroner later found the 27-year-old mum had suffered “extensive blunt force injuries … over days, weeks and months and possibly years” that were not self inflicted.

Rickerby, 30, claimed to have found her half naked and beaten body, with injuries to both her eyes, chin, lips and right hand, when he called paramedics to the Haverstock Hill Close property on November 6, 2020.

He was charged with her murder almost 18 months later, and following a two-year court saga he formally entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter in Victoria’s Supreme Court on Monday.

The coroner found Jessica Geddes, 27, suffered extensive blunt force injuries in the lead up to her death. Picture: supplied

Ms Geddes mother Saasha Brimble told the Herald Sun she was furious with the outcome.

“It says to me it was an accidental death or that he didn’t have intention,” she said.

“But he tortured her, he broke bones in her body, he was starving her. She was a healthy weight of 81kg but was returned to us at 31kg.

“There’s no compassion or remorse in the man whatsoever.”

It comes after Rickerby asked for a sentence indication to murder last year, which he ultimately rejected.

His bid for an indication – where an accused asks the judge what the likely sentence would be if they entered a guilty plea – had been suppressed to protect Rickerby’s upcoming trial, which was due to begin this week.

After Rickerby refused the judge’s sentence indication to murder mid last year, he dumped his lawyers and was due to face a lengthy jury trial.

That murder trial has now been aborted following his guilty plea to manslaughter, with the killer now due to return to court for a pre-sentencing hearing in June.

Ms Brimble said Rickerby was “evil” and deserved life in prison with no parole.

“He is 100 per cent evil and I’m really looking forward to seeing the kind of sentence he gets,” she said.

Jessica Geddes mother and daughter say their final farewell at the young mother’s funeral. Picture: supplied

“I want to see him get life in jail with no parole but if I had an option to see a death sentence, I would but we don’t have that here.”

Court documents earlier released to the Herald Sun revealed Ms Geddes appeared in a “fearful state” in the hours before she died, telling witnesses she was scared after a confrontation with Rickerby at a 7-Eleven in Endeavour Hills.

Following this confrontation, they left the store and went home together, where Ms Geddes was found dead about 7pm.

The pair, originally from Queensland, had left the sunshine state where Ms Geddes’ young daughter lived, and had moved to Victoria together.

After her death, Rickerby returned to Queensland where he was arrested in Nerang, near the Gold Coast, in 2022 and extradited back to Victoria.

Ms Brimble said she hoped the court made an example of Rickerby.

“If there’s anything this system needs to do is be aware that domestic violence is an issue,” she said.

“It didn’t stop with Jessica, it hasn’t gotten any better.

“I hope in some way the judge will look at this and think that someone needs to be made an example, someone needs to be given a harsher sentence.”

Rickerby will return to the Supreme Court for a plea hearing on June 17.