The man who murdered a woman whose body was found in the Canning river in Kelmscott in April 2013 was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
Peter Michael Bradshaw, 36, murdered Janelle Kathleen Knox by strangling her with a rope and dragging her into the river near Page Road, Kelmscott on April 15.
Mr Bradshaw met Ms Knox at a hostel they had both stayed at in Railway Avenue and on the day of the murder they were drinking at the river and were both intoxicated.
Supreme court Justice Lindy Jenkins said Ms Knox was in a distraught state at the time of her murder because her former partner had recently assaulted her.
After strangling Ms Knox Mr Bradshaw returned to the scene to remove any evidence that would link to him.
Justice Jenkins said the fact he decided to strangle Ms Knox while she was intoxicated and depressed and he was intoxicated was an aggravating feature.
“Your offence is also aggravated by your attempts to clean up the scene and your theft of her personal belongings,” she said.
“Your conduct, until your arrest, does not show any remorse for your offending.”
The trial was held because despite pleading guilty to murder on July 20 Mr Bradshaw said another man helped him strangle Ms Knox.
Justice Jenkins said her role was to determine the extent of Mr Bradshaw’s liability to the murder of Ms Knox, which was significant.
She said it was apparent during Mr Bradshaw’s evidence the main reason he disputed the state’s facts was because he was upset and angry the other man had not been charged with Ms Knox’s murder.
“As I have said the purpose of sentencing proceedings is not to attempt to implicate others in an offence but rather to sentence you for what you did,” she said.
Mr Bradshaw received life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years, which was backdated to start on April 16, 2013.
