Added grief as mother’s killer eligible for parole

Jake was 12 days old when his mother was murdered. His grief is particularly acute this week after it emerged Frankston serial killer Paul Denyer became eligible for parole.

Debbie Fream with newborn son Jake. Picture: Supplied

The errand was meant to be quick. New mum Deborah Fream drove 600m from her Seaford home in southeastern Melbourne to the local milk bar for a bottle of milk for an omelette.

But the 22-year-old never returned. Frankston serial killer Paul Denyer randomly targeted her, taking her life, and taking her away from son Jake forever.

Little Jake lost his mother on July 8, 1993. He was 12 days old.

Jake is now almost 30 and still lives with the grief, which has been particularly acute this week after it emerged Denyer became eligible for parole on Tuesday.

The chance his mother’s killer could be freed from jail is an outcome Jake says he “doesn’t understand (the parole board) would consider”.

“It’s honestly a little bit stupid in my eyes … we aren’t the victims, but we were victimised by it. And for us to not know if he does get out or anything like that, that’s probably more fearful for us than anything,” he told The Weekend Australian.

“It’s not just us to worry about, it’s for the other people in the public as well … they’ll be fearing for their children, for their mothers.”

Paul Denyer being escorted by police in 1993.

Jake, along with the family and friends of Denyer’s two other victims, Natalie Russell, 17, and Elizabeth Stevens, 18, are pushing for the killer to remain behind bars.

The loss felt by the young women’s loved ones has captured the attention of Australians decades on, with tens of thousands signing a petition to ensure Denyer’s ongoing imprisonment.

“Honestly, it’s both impressive and heartwarming for so many people to understand,” Jake said.

“The only time I really want to see (Denyer) is if he does get rejected, that’s when I would like to see his face.”

The 29-year-old never knew his mother, but is told she was a kind and genuine. “That uplifts me, it just gives me a better feeling to know that, you know, I didn’t come from someone who was a bad person.”

He describes his childhood as “rocky” as his father, Garry Blair, struggled with the loss. Garry died in August 2012 at 53.

“There were good times, bad times. And a lot of the times (Dad) was just trying not to think … So there was drug abuse, alcohol abuse,” Jake said. “It did impact me some of the time but most of the time, he was always able to figure himself out and … able to look after me. I guess as I grew more, I started to feel like (Dad felt) he was sort of doing my mum wrong … because he got to see me grow up where she didn’t.”

Denyer, 21 at the time, seized the opportunity to kill Fream when she went inside the milk bar and he noticed she did not lock her car. He hid in the back seat and used an imitation gun to threaten her when she got back in the car, forcing her to drive around.

Fream tried to attract attention by driving on the opposite side of the road and flashing her car lights; however, Denyer ordered her to drive to a specific location. Denyer then strangled her with a black cord and stabbed her.

Now Jake is making sure to not exhaust his mental health.

“I’m doing the best I can … working pretty much five, six, days a week just to keep my mind on things that aren’t to do with the case.”