Jodi Eaton’s killer had long history of violence against women, court told

THE man who murdered Jodi Eaton had a shocking record of violence against women and was on bail at the time of the killing.

Mp Jodi Eaton missing Sorell woman Jodi Eaton

THE man who murdered Sorell mother-of-two Jodi Eaton had a shocking record of violence against women and was on bail and the subject of a family violence order at the time of the killing.

A court yesterday heard Darren Michael Dobson was a short-tempered amphetamine user who displayed “every characteristic of a psychopath except the charm and grandiosity”.

Dobson has pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Eaton, 29, at Sage Court, Bridgewater, on February 1 last year.

He appeared for sentencing proceedings in the Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday. He faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

Dressed in a blue suit and tie, he sat motionless, his eyes fixed, and displayed no visible emotion in the dock during a two-and-a-half hour hearing.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC said the 39-year-old had a long history of offences of violence and was facing charges at the time of the murder.

Mr Coates said Dobson bashed Ms Eaton and either strangled or smothered her to death in the living room of the home.

He confessed his crime to a friend the following day.

“She’s missing,” the friend said of Ms Eaton.

“Yeah, so?” Dobson replied.

“What do you think happened to her?” the friend asked.

Dobson turned, his face white: “I think you know what happened to her — I f---ing strangled the b--ch,” he said.

Mr Coates said Dobson had 10 prior convictions, many for offences of violence against women.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail for armed robbery in 1995, seven years for three counts of rape and assault in 1998, and three years for ­assaulting his pregnant partner while drunk and on drugs in 2007. In 2013 he was given a suspended jail sentence for common assault and had been charged with two additional attacks on women in the time since — both of which ­involved attempts to choke or strangle his victim.

He was on bail for assault and subject to a family violence order at the time of the murder, the court heard.

Victim impact statements from Ms Eaton’s young daughters, mother and sister were handed to Chief Justice Alan Blow. All have been devastated by the crime.

Ms Eaton’s mother Margaret Pickrell wrote of a loving daughter and devoted mother who had crossed paths with a “depraved monster”.

“I knew my Jo-Jo had met with evil before police confirmed the fact,” she wrote.

“I live out the hell of what happened to Jodi every time I wake. When Jodi’s life was ­destroyed, my life was destroyed. I miss her so much.

“I’ll never understand why such a kind-hearted daughter suffered such a heartless death.”

Ms Eaton’s sister Sandra Eaton said in her statement that Jodi’s daughters and ­extended family were still grieving deeply.

“To hear that my sister had been murdered and her body found in a shallow grave broke my heart,” she said.

Defence lawyer Tamara Jago SC said that after a consensual sexual encounter Ms Eaton and Dobson argued and he flew into a rage.

“Mr Dobson said he took hold of her. He was angry. He shook her and put his hands around her throat and he just squeezed,” she said.

“He says the anger just came over him. She was standing at the time and then eventually she collapsed to the ground.

“He waited for her to wake up and when she didn’t he says the enormity of what he did hit him.”

Mr Coates said the crime was aggravated by Dobson’s lack of remorse, his prior ­offending and the fact he was on bail, and the callous disposal of Ms Eaton’s body, and called for a strong deterrent sentence.

Ms Jago said her client was an amphetamine user who hadn’t slept for 72 hours when he killed Ms Eaton.

She said that after the murder, Dobson reacted out of self-protection, panic and fear.

Chief Justice Blow will sentence Dobson on September 8.

The Supreme Court in Hobart has heard 39-year-old Darren Michael Dobson had a long history of shocking violence against women and was on bail at the time of the killing

He had pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Eaton, 29, at Sage Court, Bridgewater, in the early hours of February 1 last year.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates said Dobson strangled Ms Eaton, wrapped her body in a plastic pool liner and later dumped it in a shallow bushland grave at Pelham.

As police searched for the missing woman, Dobson denied knowing of her fate, but gave conflicting accounts of events to police.

But he confessed to the murder in a conversation with a friend.

“She’s missing?” the friend said.

“Yeah, so?” Dobson replied.

“What do you think happened to her?” the friend asked.

“I think you know what happened to her – I strangled her,” said Dobson.

Mr Coates said Dobson had been sentenced to 18 months jail for armed robbery in 1995, seven years for three counts of rape and assault in 1998, three years for assaulting his pregnant partner in 2007, and multiple additional assaults on women which featured choking.

He was on bail for assault and subject to a family violence order at the time of the murder, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Tamara Jago said her client was an amphetamine user who hadn’t slept for 72 hours when he killed Ms Eaton after an argument.

“Mr Dobson said he took hold of her. He was angry. He shook her and put his hands around her throat and he just squeezed,” she said.

“He says the anger just came over him. She was standing at the time and then eventually she collapsed to the ground.

“He waited for her to wake up and when she didn’t he says the enormity of what he did hit him.”

The court heard a psychological report on Dobson said he suffered from anti-social personality disorder and he had the characteristics of a psychopath “except the charm and grandiosity”.

Chief Justice Alan Blow will sentence Dobson on September 8.