Cairns crime: Madeleine Lewin sentenced for manslaughter of Brisbane man Anthony Brady

A 34-year-old Cairns sex worker with a prolific criminal history who gagged and bound her victim in a hotel room, has been sentenced after being found guilty of manslaughter. Learn her fate.

A CAIRNS sex worker who was on parole when she committed manslaughter learned her fate in Cairns Supreme Court on Friday.

Because she represented herself, Madeleine Lewin sat not in the dock but at the bar table, dressed demurely in a blue suit with her dark hair in a bun.

She appeared impassive and there was no discernible reaction as Justice Jim Henry sentenced her to six and a half years in prison with no parole date.

Cairns police officers arrest Madeleine Lewin, 32, in relation to the suspicious death of Brisbane man Anthony Brady, 52. She was later convicted of manslaughter. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

The court heard Anthony Michael Brady, 52, was found dead in Ms Lewin’s room at the Sunshine Tower Hotel in Sheridan St, on August 14, 2020.

He was found face down, naked and bound to a bed with rope and handcuffs, gagged, hooded, with rope tied around his neck, and with a used 20cm ribbed glass dildo between his legs.

He died from asphyxiation, forensic pathologist Dr Paul Botterill told the court earlier in the trial.

Justice Henry said Mr Brady must have exhibited he was in difficulty but Ms Lewin “self-indulgently continued on in disregard of his safety”.

“The circumstances of the case strongly supported the inference that you failed to adequately supervise his wellbeing during your provision of sexual services involving him being bound and his breathing hindered,” Justice Henry said.

The Sunshine Tower Hotel on Sheridan Street, where the body of Brisbane man Anthony Brady, 52, was found. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

“The present offence and your past offences suggest traits of self-centredness and a lack of empathy,” he said.

“The scene shows you did nothing to release or ease the constraints upon him,” Justice Henry said.

“You did not even cut just one rope with the box-cutter you had in the room, so that you might have at least turned his head slightly to try and permit the access of air to his nose or his mouth.”

He noted the spandex hood Mr Brady was wearing did not have a hole for his nose.

“You have shown no remorse whatsoever.”

Ms Lewin left her room at 11.30pm that night, having disguised herself, Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court during the trial that began on September 5.

The court heard there was nothing to suggest any attempts by her at medical intervention, assistance, attempts at resuscitation, or phone calls to any medical provider.

Mr Brady’s distraught wife Kartika Kumar broke down in court when shown a photo of her late husband.

“The effect of your conduct has had far-reaching and devastating consequences,” Justice Henry said, referring to family victim impact statements.

He said Ms Lewin was on parole for multiple convictions including six assaults on police and carjacking at the time of the offence.

He noted in 2019 the single mother had a psychiatric illness but by July 2020 was exhibiting no psychiatric symptoms, as a result of successful treatment.

Justice Henry accepted Ms Lewin was drug affected at the time but said that did not render it a less serious matter.

Mr Brady arrived in Cairns on August 10 for work and was due to fly home on August 13, with family members reporting him missing when he did not arrive.

He never checked out of his hotel room.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Madeleine Lewin sentenced for manslaughter of Brisbane man Anthony Brady