Articles by Olivana Lathouris

Technology

Man who killed his wife in front of their child sentenced to life in prison

The Northern Territory's highest judge has described the domestic violence murder of a grandmother as a "profound tragedy", while sentencing her killer to life behind bars. Steven John was found guilty of murdering his wife — referred to as Ms Skeen for cultural reasons — following a three-day NT Supreme Court trial this week. The 48-year-old stabbed Ms Skeen, 45, in the back with a 15 centimetre boning knife during a drunken argument at a home in the remote community of Jilkminggan, south-east of Katherine, in July 2023. The incident unfolded in front of the couple's 21-year-old daughter, Lily May John, who told the court she witnessed her parents fighting and heard her father threatening to stab and kill her mother in the moments leading up the incident. "Your daughter was telling you to stop and put the knife down, but you were undeterred and refused to do so," Chief Justice Michael Grant said during his sentencing remarks on Friday. Chief Justice Grant sentenced John to life in prison — the mandatory sentence for murder in the NT — with a minimum period of 20 years without parole. During the trial, defence lawyer Amit Malik argued that his client had been provoked when Ms Skeen punched John three times in the head and called him a "black c**t"— however, the jury rejected that argument. Chief Justice Grant described John's actions as "entirely disproportionate" to Ms Skeen's behaviour. 'Intergenerational cycle' of violence: Judge Chief Justice Grant described the incident as "a profound tragedy for everyone concerned". The court heard John's home life as a child had been marred by domestic violence and alcohol abuse, which the judge said had led to an "intergenerational cycle" he described as a "great tragedy". "I have no doubt your relationship with the deceased was blighted by alcohol and domestic violence over an extended period," Chief Justice Grant said. 'We trusted you': Family statement In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecutor Ian Read SC on Friday, Ms Skeen's family said their lives had been changed forever as a result of her death. "We are all still in shock she is gone in such a tragic way," the statement said. "We trusted you to protect her and instead you abused her and took her away from us." Mr Read told the court that while there was no victim impact statement from the couple's daughter, the trauma and distress she had suffered as a result of the incident was "hardly surprising". Mr Read also made an impassioned submission about the impacts on victims of the NT's mandatory sentencing regime, which he said sometimes "forced matters to trial". "Victims not only have to relive the incident … but are often required to review their statements and watch body-worn video, which is often very traumatic," he said.