The younger sister of a woman whose partner beat her to death with a metal barbell has made plans to get him released from prison early.
Victorian woman Katie Haley, 29, was brutally murdered by her partner Shane Robertson in 2018 while their 11-month-old daughter slept in the next room.
The mother-of-two had told Robertson she wanted to leave him after he became increasingly jealous over the course of their four-year relationship.
Just minutes after the fatal attack, Robertson called his mother and told her, “I did it.” I bashed her brains in. There are brains everywhere.”
He pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison in March 2019. The judge ruled that he must serve a minimum of 19 years before being eligible for release.
Six years later, Katie’s family suffers a devastating blow.
Katie Haley (left) was violently murdered by her jealous boyfriend Shane Robertson (right)
Bianca Unwin, Katie’s younger sister, has expressed her dismay at a decision to reduce Robertson’s 24-year prison sentence due to Covid hardships
Robertson will not serve his entire non-parole period and will have more than a year off his sentence due to hardship during the Covid lockdown.
Katie’s younger sister Bianca Unwin, an advocate for victims of domestic violence, expressed her disappointment with the decision in a TikTok video in May.
Ms Unwin said Robertson had failed to call for help after the attack, sparked a manhunt after fleeing the scene and had shown no remorse.
“That sounds like someone who should be eligible for a reduced sentence because of the hardships he faced during Covid,” she said.
“To me, that sounds like the worst type of person to get out early. He showed no remorse, even though he pleaded guilty and the courts considered that remorseful.
‘He pleaded guilty to a crime he could not deny because he confessed to his mother and was arrested by the police. That’s not a regret. He didn’t call for help.’
She said her sister’s killer had committed a “horrendous crime” but was given a reduction of “up to 14 months” because of the “mental hardship” prisoners faced as they were “confined to their cells during the lockdown”.
“Make that sense,” she said.
Corrections Victoria uses Emergency Management Days (EMDs) to reduce an inmate’s sentence if they are behind bars during an emergency or industrial dispute.
Inmates automatically qualified for EHRs during the Covid pandemic.
Six years after her death, Katie’s family suffers a devastating blow
Shane Michael Robertson was jailed for 24 years for brutally murdering his girlfriend
Katie’s family launched a petition in May for Corrections Victoria to cancel EMD, saying it posed a significant risk to community safety.
“Violent offenders like Shane Robertson must serve their full sentences as determined by the court without any reduction or parole. This ensures some form of justice for the victims and their families and protects society from potential harm,” the report said.
The Change.org petition has received more than 16,000 signatures to date.
It is understood the Victorian Government has prevented prisoners from automatically qualifying for EMDs from February 1, 2023.
Meanwhile, Bianca, now a mother of two herself, and her father have become advocates for victims of coercive control and domestic violence.
Bianca posts TikTok videos almost daily about Victoria’s corrections system, legislation, domestic violence and updates on her sister’s case.
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