Shandee Blackburn murder: Free support for mum Vicki Blackburn in fight against accused killer John Peros

Murder victim Shandee Blackburn’s mother is being represented by a high-powered legal team without charge as she fights defamation proceedings brought by her daughter’s accused killer.

Shandee Blackburn’s mum Vicki Blackburn is receiving legal support free of charge

The mother of murdered Shandee Blackburn is being represented by a high-powered legal team without charge as she fights defamation proceedings brought by her daughter’s ­accused killer.

Vicki Blackburn is being sued by former champion amateur boxer John Peros in the Federal Court over three comments other people made on a Facebook page dedicated to her slain daughter.

The court was told on Tuesday that Ms Blackburn’s legal team had applied to have the case dismissed because the posts did not meet the threshold ­required of causing Mr Peros ­serious harm.

Shandee Blackburn with former boyfriend John Peros.

Mr Peros is suing Ms Blackburn, alleging that as an administrator of the Justice for Shandee Facebook group where the posts appeared, she was responsible for their publication.

The group was launched soon after Shandee was stabbed to death while walking home from work in Mackay in 2013. Set up as a “tribute” to Shandee, it has more than 6000 members.

Ms Blackburn was represented in court in Brisbane on Monday by barristers Patrick McCafferty KC and Andrew O’Brien and solicitors John Sneddon and Karim Oreb from Shand Taylor Lawyers.

The same team appeared for Ms Blackburn in November.

“The last time that we ­appeared, we appeared on a pro bono basis, and that continues,” Mr McCafferty told the court.

Sydney barrister Richard Potter SC represented Mr Peros via video link.

Mr McCafferty said the case was “an unusual one” as it followed a coroner’s findings that Mr Peros did kill Shandee. Coroner David O’Connell declared in 2020 that Mr Peros stabbed his 23-year-old former girlfriend Shandee to death. A jury had previously found Mr Peros not guilty of Shandee’s murder. He denies any involvement.

John Peros is interviewed by detectives in Brisbane during the Shandee Blackburn murder investigation.

Ms Blackburn’s legal team wants the issue of whether Mr Peros suffered serious harm to be determined, as it could avoid a lengthy and costly trial. If there is a trial, Ms Blackburn will argue Mr Peros did kill Shandee.

Mr Peros has a separate defamation claim against Shandee’s sister Shannah Blackburn, ­Nationwide News as publisher of The Australian, and investigative journalist Hedley Thomas, over comments Shannah made in the Shandee’s Story podcast.