Hang the Mongrels
It is my personal opinion and as I have said before, the best cure for scum like this is not to warehouse them at our expense in jail.
Permanent rehabilitation at the end of a rope would certanly work for me, what about you?
Readers vote in favour of return of death penalty in the wake of Leigh Robinson’s conviction over murder of Tracey Greenbury
Russell Robinson, AAP
From: Herald Sun
September 23, 2009 12:00AMHarold Dunn’s daughter Valerie was viciously stabbed and murdered by Leigh Robinson in 1968. Picture: David Caird
AN advocate for victims of crime has called for an overhaul of the justice system as Herald Sun readers vote in favour of a return of the death penalty in the wake of Leigh Robinson’s conviction.
Noel McNamara’s comments come after 61-year-old Leigh Robinson was convicted on Tuesday for murdering his girlfriend Tracey Greenbury, 33.
Robinson’s latest conviction comes 40 years after he was sentenced to death in 1968 for the stabbing murder of an ex-girlfriend. That sentence was commuted to a 20-year jail term.
Mr McNamara said Robinson should never have been allowed out of jail, adding that maximum sentences for convicted murderers needed to handed out.
“Anyone that is classed as a murderer and has been sentenced as a murderer and then comes out and commits other crimes of violence, and gets slaps on the wrist, we just find that a terrible thing,” Mr McNamara told AAP.
“The justice system needs to be completely overhauled. The community is outraged at it but the judges just go on and on.
The government puts up the maximums but nothing ever comes of it. The judges still go on the same sentences.”
Mr McNamara’s daughter, Tracey, was murdered in 1992. Her killer received a 10-year minimum jail term.
Mr McNamara also said a jury should have the right to know the accused’s prior form before handing down a verdict.
“In other countries they are given that,” he said. “Here we have a one-sided court system where hearsay is allowed by one side, the defence, but it is not allowed by the victims.
“We find that most offensive, particularly in violent crimes, murder and rape.”
Mr McNamara backed a suggestion by former federal MP Phil Clearly to introduce a national register of men convicted of violent crimes against women.
“I would be all in favour of anything that would improve this,” he said.
“But our belief is if the justice system did its job in the first place, we wouldn’t have this problem.”
At 4pm today, more than 77.5% of 2739 votes cast on heraldsun.com.au supported the return of the death penalty in Victoria.
The debate comes in the wake of yesterday’s conviction of 61-year-old Robinson for murdering his former girlfriend Tracey Greenbury, 33. He shot her at close range as she cowered in a neighbour’s hallway last year.
The Herald Sun revealed this morning that the grieving father of Robinson’s first murder victim plotted to exact his own revenge on the man who viciously stabbed the teenager to death.
Returned digger Harold Dunn planned to shoot Robinson when he returned to the murder scene under police escort to re-enact the frenzied knife attack on Dunn’s daughter, Valerie, in 1968.
“I want to shoot him between the eyes. I want to shoot him dead,” he told his family at the time. “I don’t care. I’ll do 20 years if I have to.”
Originally sentenced to death, Leigh Robinson was spared the hangman’s noose by the State Government of the day and served just 20 years in prison.
Yesterday, 41 years later, Robinson was again convicted of murder, this time Frankston mother-of-two Tracey Greenbury.
Robinson was found guilty of firing his shortened 12-gauge shotgun into the back of Tracey’s head on April 28 last year. She died instantly.
When told yesterday of Harold Dunn’s planned revenge, Tracey’s father, Max, said: “I felt the same way. Without hesitation I’d have done the same thing at the time.”
“If Mr Dunn had killed him then Tracey would still be alive today. But then again the father would have been jailed for killing a monster.”
Harold Dunn yesterday welcomed the jury decision.
“But they should’ve kept the mongrel behind bars. If they had, that young Tracey would still be alive,” he told the Herald Sun.
Yesterday’s jury deliberations were among the shortest in a murder trial. The five women and seven men took just an hour to reach a verdict.
The 61-year-old truck driver, who pleaded not guilty, claimed the loaded and cocked shotgun had gone off accidentally after he had pursued his victim into her neighbour’s house.
After shooting her at point-blank range, Robinson walked away, leaving Tracey’s shocked neighbour, Leoni Coates, fearing he would return to get her.
What the jury had not been told during the two-week Supreme Court trial was that Robinson had been sentenced to death for the June 8, 1968 murder of his former girlfriend, Valerie Ethel Dunn.
The then 20-year-old labourer slashed and stabbed the pretty shopgirl twice in the front and 14 times in the back with a long-handled kitchen knife in her Margot St, Chadstone, home.
Robinson also stabbed 17-year-old Valerie’s boyfriend, Des Grewar, who survived and gave evidence at the murder trial.
According to family friend Ray Patterson, who discovered Valerie Dunn’s bloodied body in her Chadstone home, Harold Dunn had asked to borrow one of his rifles.
“Harry knew when Robinson was coming back to the house for the police re-enactment,” Mr Patterson said.
“He told me: ‘I want to kill Robinson. I want to shoot him when he comes down the drive’.
“He was going to hide in the garage and shoot him. He was then going to give himself up and tell the detectives, ‘OK, I did it. Here I am take me away’.”
Mr Patterson, who was going out with Valerie’s sister, Paula, at the time (and later married her) had been building a bird cage in the Dunn backyard when he heard the teenager’s cries.
He rushed into the house and found Valerie lying in the hallway, covered in blood. Mr Patterson cradled her in his arms as she drew her final breath.
By this time, Robinson had fled the scene.
“Harold Dunn was a man who’d lost his daughter and he wanted revenge on Robinson,” Mr Patterson said.
“But he didn’t have his own gun. So he asked me for one. He asked me heaps of times.
“I said to him, ‘I’m not going to give you a gun’.
“I didn’t want him to get into trouble.
“I told him, ‘they’ll lock you up’, but Harry said, ‘I don’t care. I just want to kill him’.”
Mr Patterson said he then got rid of his guns.
I would feel the same way if it was my family and I have always said I would do it sas they went into court as a Justice system is a bloody joke. How many people would be alive toadya if they had have hung these bastards in the first place. I do not think we should be keeping them,in Motel style accomadation. This Robinson will hopefully get his own in prison.I would like to see a list published of the crims that have been released an murdered again.
Yes Lori your right and it would cut the prison cost as well.
This fellow should have been jailed for well over seven years. Attempted murder was his crime, not “causing serious injury”. What a pathetic description for what he did! It shouldn’t actually matter whether the victim survived or not as far as I’m concerned. It was a sheer fluke that this poor woman did. He actually sounds dangerous enough to be locked up until the day he dies. Criminals like him should be made to do hard physical labour to pay for their keep too.
Laraine this scumbag derserved to be put slowly but surley anything else was to good for this mongrel, thank you for posting your thoughts.
Yes I support the death penalty in all cases of murder and rape where there is no chance of a mistake, I also believe that if we want to stop the drug trade then apply the death penalty, also the death penalty for all police and government corruption.
Hi Frederick am with you all the way, as for drugs it works well in Singapore,just leave the scum hanging around over their.