Jessica Camilleri’s life behind bars revealed amid sentence appeal

Intimate details into St Clair mother killer Jessica Camilleri’s life behind bars have been revealed, including how she is “constantly” segregated from other inmates.

A court has heard details into Jessica Camilleri’s, who beheaded her own mother in Sydney’s west during a psychotic rage in 2019, life behind bars, including being “constantly” kept away from other inmates.

A court has heard details of the life behind bars of Jessica Camilleri, who beheaded her mother in Sydney’s west during a psychotic rage, including being “constantly” kept away from other inmates.

Camilleri, 31, is serving a 16 and a half year sentence after she beheaded her mother during a psychotic rage at their St Clair home in July 2019.

She was initially charged with murder, but was acquitted at trial and found guilty of manslaughter instead due to her mental health at the time.

The jury at the time was told Camilleri and her mother, Rita, 57, were arguing when her daughter – who had a history of refusing to take her psychiatric medication – attacked her mother with kitchen knives.

Camilleri has since faced court multiple times for charges stemming from her time in custody, particularly of assaulting prison officers, often by pulling their hair.

Jessica Camilleri, 31, is serving six and a half years behind bars for killing her mother, Rita Camilleri, 57, in St Clair in 2019.

Her third and most recent stint, where she was charged and pleaded guilty to common assault, extended her prison sentence by another six months.

An appeal against the severity of the sentence was heard in the Penrith District Court on Tuesday, where details into Camilleri’s life behind bars were also shared.

Camilleri has lodged an appeal against severity of sentence after her prison sentence was extended by another six months for assaulting a corrections officer. Pictured is the Penrith Court House where the appeal was heard.

The court was told Camilleri was “constantly” segregated from other inmates, which was the case for her most recent assault conviction where she attacked a prison officer on March 13, 2025.

The court was told in the lead up to the assault, health records stated Camilleri struggled in isolation, constantly craving human attention and would sing out for staff members for interaction.

Another report also stated Camilleri struggled interacting with other inmates, who she felt were judging and rejecting her, as well as talking to her about her mother.

This sparked an increase in negative behaviour from Camilleri, which often landed her in isolation.

Jessica Camilleri added an extra six months to her prison sentence after she attacked a guard at the Dillwynia Correctional Centre (pictured) in March 2025. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Details into Jessica Camilleri’s life behind bars have been revealed during an appeal against severity of sentence in the Penrith District Court.

The court was told Camilleri also had several items kept in her cell she used to help regulate her emotions, including a tablet and TV.

These were taken away from her as punishment when she would misbehave, essentially leaving her with an empty cell.

The court was told this only added to Camilleri’s suffering in custody, which she struggled with more than the average inmate due to disabilities and previous trauma.

Camilleri’s lawyer asked that her current sentence for the charge, which added an extra six months to her existing prison sentence for manslaughter, instead be made wholly or substantially concurrent with her existing sentence – meaning served at the same time.

Judge Graham Turnbull will hand down his judgement on Camilleri’s appeal on Monday, July 7.

Originally published as Jessica Camilleri’s life behind bars revealed amid sentence appeal