Jordan Brodie Miller who killed his girlfriend Emerald Wardle believing she was a ‘demon’ after taking LSD has 20-year-jail sentence quashed
A man has had a 20-year prison sentence for murder quashed after a court found his girlfriend was a demon when he strangled her, marking the first onset of schizophrenia.
Jordan Brodie Miller took LSD for 11 days before violently attacking and killing his partner Emerald Wardle at a house in Metford, in the NSW Hunter region, in June 2020.
He later told a triple-zero operator and police that he believed Ms Wardle was a demon at the time of the attack.
Jordan Brodie Miller (right) took LSD for 11 days before violently attacking and killing his partner Emerald Wardle at a house in Metford, in the NSW Hunter region, in June 2020.
Miller was convicted of murder by a NSW Supreme Court jury in June 2022 and sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 13 years.
A key issue at the trial was whether he killed his girlfriend while experiencing symptoms of undiagnosed schizophrenia or drug-induced psychosis.
He appealed both the conviction and sentence, telling the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal that since the trial he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and his symptoms had persisted.
On Friday the court unanimously accepted the appeal, saying the evidence was all ‘one way’ that he had symptoms of schizophrenia when he killed Ms Wardle.
“The court is satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the applicant had a ‘mental health disorder’ as defined, namely schizophrenia, at the time he carried out the murder of Ms Wardle,” the three-judge panel wrote.
‘Although he knew the nature and quality of his actions in causing Mrs Wardle’s death, he did not know that the act was wrong due to his psychotic delusions at the time.’
Miller was found not criminally responsible for the murder.
In overturning the conviction and lengthy prison sentence, the Court of Appeal expressed its condolences to the family of Ms Wardle (pictured).
His case will be sent to the Mental Health Review Tribunal, which will determine how and where he will be treated.
In overturning the conviction and lengthy prison sentence, the Court of Appeal expressed its condolences to Ms Wardle’s family.
“The court recognizes that the loss of Emerald Wardle has caused her family immense pain from which they will never recover,” the judges wrote.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyondblue 1300 22 4636