JUSTICE FOR CORINNE’S KILLER
Killer forced his way into apartment ‘ with murderous intent’
DANE Andrew Pilcher will spend at least 20 years behind bars for the violent stabbing murder of his ex- partner Corinne Henderson.
In the Supreme Court in Townsville yesterday, Pilcher, 38, was sentenced to life imprisonment, which means he is facing a non- parole period of 20 years.
The former soldier and mines worker has been in custody for almost two years and will not be able too apply for parole until at least 2035.
Pilcher had pleaded not guilty too intentionally killing Ms Henderson, 32, but was convicted of murder last Friday after a nine- day trial.
On September 26, 2015, Pilcher saw a photograph of Ms Henderson with her new boyfriend Dwayne Wickham at the Townsville Cup. He then took a taxi to Ms Henderson’s Idalia unit, crashed through her third- floor kitchen window and stabbed his ex- partner 21 times with a kitchen knife. Pilcher phoned triple- zero and told police “I killed my ex- partner”. He waited at the Oonoonba Rd unit until police arrested him. Justice David North delivered the sentence during a brief court hearing yesterday morning. “Corinne Henderson died as a consequence of a sustained and particularly violent attack by yourself,” he told Pilcher. “The evidence of your own messages indicates that you were motivated by a vengeful jealousy, when she ended your relationship and became involved with another man.”
“The jury’s verdict, based upon an overwhelming prosecution case, is that you went to and forced your way into the apartment with murderous intent, and with that intent, attacked and killed Ms Henderson.”
Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate said police searched Pilcher’s home two days after the murder.
Officers found a rifle wrapped in a towel in a walk- in wardrobe, with its serial number partially ground off.
Police also found two boxes of ammunition and testosterone.
Yesterday Pilcher pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs, unlawfully possessing a weapon and possessing ammunition. He was sentenced to three months in jail, to be served concurrently with his life sentence.
Mr Walklate tendered victim impact statements written by Ms Henderson’s parents and brothers, but said the family did not wish to read the statements to the court.
During the trial, Pilcher claimed that after breaking into Ms Henderson’s house, she stabbed him with a knife and he had reacted in self- defence. His version of events was unanimously rejected by the jury.
… YOU WERE MOTIVATED BY A VENGEFUL JEALOUSY JUSTICE DAVID NORTH