Darren Chalmers jailed over murder in WA was questioned over Annette Steward death

A man questioned over a Geelong cold case murder has been jailed interstate for killing another woman.

Annette Steward was found dead in her Geelong home.

A man questioned by police over a Victorian cold case murder has been jailed for killing a woman in Western Australia.

Darren John Chalmers, 53, was on Thursday sentenced to at least 20 years’ jail for murdering his neighbour and dumping her body in a bush grave.

It was revealed last year that Chalmers was questioned by detectives from Victoria about the death of Annette Steward in Geelong West in 1992.

Annette Steward was killed in her Geelong home in 1992.

Ms Steward, 29, was found strangled and bashed in her Hope St home on March 18, 1992.

The Point Henry worker was last seen at the Winchester Factory on March 17.

Police believe Ms Steward left work at 4.30pm before doing some shopping on her way home.

Ms Steward, who had a young daughter, was visited by four male friends and had a cup of tea with them before they left, police said.

Police said a friend dropped by the next day, on March 18, and found Ms Steward’s naked body in a bedroom.

A post-mortem revealed she died as a result of strangulation.

In 2015 police offered a $1 million reward for information in relation to the 29-year-old’s murder.

Chalmers’ murder sentence in WA on Thursday was over the death of Dianne Barrett, 59, who he strangled in May 2019.

Dianne Barrett.

Darren John Chalmers.

The Supreme Court heard Chalmers, 53, invited his neighbour around for a cup of tea and attacked her after injecting himself with drugs.

Chalmers carried her body on a trolley onto the back of his Ute, and drove it to a remote spot of bushland where it was left covered with bushes.

It stayed there for seven months, as Ms Barrett’s family made a desperate plea for information.

When asked questions about his neighbour by police, Chalmers denied any knowledge of her whereabouts.

But police remained suspicious, and so launched an elaborate covert operation — which eventually led to him confessing to the crime, and taking police to the bush grave.

Justice Stephen Hall said Ms Barrett had shown “nothing but kindness” to her killer.

“She would have trusted him, and as a friend would have no reason to expect him to behave in this utterly outrageous way.”

A letter from Chalmers read out in court spoke of his being “sorry for the pain I have put you all through”.

“I am not a bad person … I just made a bad choice,” he said.

Justice Hall jailed him for life with a minimum of 20 years to serve.