Killer’s appeal is thrown out
THE killer of Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall has lost an appeal against his murder conviction.
Brenden Jacob Bennetts went to the Queensland Court of Appeal after he was found guilty of murdering 16year-old Jayde and dumping her body on rural land.
The court published its judgment dismissing his appeal yesterday morning.
THE killer of Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall has lost an appeal against his murder conviction.
Brenden Jacob Bennetts went to the Queensland Court of Appeal after he was found guilty of murdering 16-yearold Jayde and dumping her body on rural land.
The court published its judgment dismissing his appeal yesterday morning.
Outside court, Jayde Kendall’s father Bruce Morrissey and grandfather Denis Morrissey
said society and lawmakers should do more to help victims and prevent violence.
Although they were relieved the appeal was dismissed, they said more work was needed to prevent other families going through the same heartbreak.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” Bruce said outside court, discussing the impact of his daughter’s death.
The Morrisseys said the destructive impact of Jayde’s death would ripple through the generations.
The Morrisseys also said Bennetts could be in his mid-30s on his release from jail, and that was unacceptable.
The family has been sharing messages of personal safety through initiatives such as the Jayde Kendall Day of Awareness walk.
Bennetts’s appeal focused on claims that police should’ve given him warnings and cautions when he was being questioned “as a suspect” before his arrest.
The appeal court judges also studied arguments about whether evidence was lawfully obtained.
Justice Debra Mullins, Justice Helen Bowskill and appeal court President Walter Sofronoff unanimously dismissed the appeal.
At his trial last year, jurors heard Bennetts stole money from Jayde’s bank account and lied to police when asked about Jayde.
Jayde’s body was found in long grass near Allens Rd in Upper Tenthill on August 26, 2015.
She was last seen alive 12 days earlier.
I WOULDN’T WISH THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY. BRUCE MORRISSEY, FATHER OF MURDERED SCHOOLGIRL JAYDE KENDALL