Life sentence with 14-year minimum for Amanda Kelly after 'horrific' murder of David Houston

By Joanna Menagh - Abc.net.au

December 9, 2013

A Perth woman has been sentenced to life with a 14-year minimum for what a judge described as the horrific murder of a 24-year-old man in South Fremantle.

Amanda Jane Kelly, who turns 21 tomorrow, helped two other men beat and strangle David Houston in a drug-fuelled attack in May last year.

The men, Sam Walker and Jonathan Lee, were high on drugs when they strangled, kicked, punched and stomped on Mr Houston then wrapped his body in a barbecue cover.

They buried his body in a shallow grave near Bunbury, south of Perth.

It was covered in acid, lime and concrete.

Late last year, each of the men were sentenced to life with a minimum of 12 years, but that was later increased to 21 years on appeal.

The appeal judges described the murder as "gratuitous, irrational violence".

"The killing of the deceased was intentional, unprovoked, ferocious and sustained, and merciless in its execution."

Kelly's sentencing delayed due to appeal

Kelly's sentencing was delayed due to the appeal.

In sentencing today, Justice Michael Corboy said "this was a particularly horrific crime."

He accepted that Kelly had played a lesser role in the crime than her two co-offenders, that she was remorseful, and that she had endured years of psychological problems.

However, he said she made no attempt to help Mr Houston or call the police.

Her lawyers had submitted that Kelly should not receive a life jail term but Justice Corboy ruled a life sentence with a 14-year minimum was appropriate.

With time already served, her first eligible release date is in 2026.

Sentence delayed for tearful killer Amanda Jane Kelly

PerthNow.com.au

April 05, 2013

SENTENCING has been delayed for a young woman who admitted participating in the murder of a drug dealer who was strangled, beaten, dumped in the back of a ute, covered with acid and buried in a bush grave.

Jonathan Robert Lee, 23, and Sam Jacob Walker, 27, have both been jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years for the murder of David Houston, whose body was found in a shallow grave near Binningup, 130km south of Perth, in June last year.

Amanda Jane Kelly, Lee's girlfriend at the time, was also charged with the murder of Mr Houston, 26, who was killed last May at the South Fremantle house of Walker's family, after he joined Lee and Kelly in a drugs binge.

Kelly, 20, previously pleaded guilty to murder but her sentencing was deferred today after the WA Supreme Court heard state prosecutors were appealing the leniency of the sentences for Lee and Walker.

Lee has also lodged an appeal against his sentence, claiming he should have been dealt with differently from Walker because he was less culpable.

Justice Michael Corboy said it was in the best interests of Kelly and the court system to only have to deal with the matter once and it was therefore better to wait until the appeal had been dealt with to avoid having to revisit her sentencing in another appeal.

She will be sentenced in July.

"It is a very difficult sentencing," he said.

Kelly sat in the dock shaking her leg during proceedings and crying.

Her family, including her father and sisters, were also in court.

Defence lawyer Simon Freitag said he would argue that Kelly should not be given a life sentence.

If he succeeeds, it will be the first time in WA that a murderer has not been given a life jail term.

Mr Freitag said he would argue that Kelly's role was very different to Walker and Lee.

"She is very much a minor player," he said.

"She is in a manifestly different category from them."

The court previously heard that after Walker told Kelly he was going to kill Mr Houston, she went into the bathroom with Lee to have sex, returning to see Walker choking the victim.

Lee then helped Walker beat Mr Houston and choke him, before wrapping his body in a barbecue cover.

Walker then drove the corpse in a Bunnings ute to the remote site where he was buried, along with acid and building materials.

Kelly is due to reappear in court on July 19.

Amanda Jane Kelly pleads guilty to David John Houston murder

PerthNow.com.au

January 30, 2013

A YOUNG woman has admitted taking part in the murder of a drug dealer who was strangled and beaten, covered with acid and buried in a bush grave.

Jonathan Robert Lee, 23, and Sam Jacob Walker, 27, have both already been jailed for a minimum of 12 years for the murder of David Houston, whose battered body was found in a shallow grave near the coastal town of Binningup, 130km south of Perth, on June 2.

Amanda Jane Kelly, Lee's girlfriend at the time, was also charged with the murder of Mr Houston, 26, who was killed on May 12 at the South Fremantle house of Walker's family, after he had joined Lee and Kelly in a drugs binge.

At a brief appearance at Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court today, Kelly pleaded guilty to the charge of murder. She will be sentenced on April 5.

The court had earlier been told that after a day of consuming cannabis, Walker offered to buy methamphetamine for the trio, and returned to the house with Houston, whom he'd known for a few weeks.

After Walker told Kelly he was gearing up to kill Mr Houston, she disappeared into the bathroom with Lee to have sex in the shower - returning to see Walker with a ligature around the victim's neck.

After being urged to help, Lee hit Mr Houston in the face as Walker continued to choke him.

The pair dragged the man to the shower, then Lee repeatedly kicked him in the chest.

The male pair then wrapped his body in a barbecue cover and Walker drove the corpse in a Bunnings ute to the remote site where he was buried, along with quantities of acid and building materials.

Police traced the burial site through the GPS unit in the hired vehicle, and the pair were arrested.

Details of drug fuelled murder revealed in court

By Joanna Menagh

December 5, 2012

The Supreme Court has been told a 24-year-old Perth man, David Houston, was strangled, kicked and stomped on in a drug fuelled murder at a house in South Fremantle.

Sam Walker, 27 and Jonathan Lee, 23, had pleaded guilty to murdering the 24-year-old in May this year.

Mr Houston had gone to the house to provide the men with drugs, including crystal meth.

The court was told the two men were under the influence of the meth and cannabis when Walker announced he was going to kill the visitor.

He then used a piece of cord to strangle Mr Houston, while Lee, who had initially been out of the room, punched, kicked and stomped on him.

His body was wrapped up in a barbeque cover and Walker hired a ute and buried Mr Houston's body near Bunbury.

The court heard Lee could provide no explanation for what he had done.

In a letter to the judge, Lee said he continued to ask himself how he could have done what he did, but said he will never know.

Walker's lawyer said her client believed in his own distorted mind that he was protecting Mr Houston's pregnant girlfriend.

Justice Eric Heenan says the "frightening murder" showed the destruction caused by drug-fuelled lifestyles.

He said the frightening and explosive violence of the case highlighted the destruction, grief and horror of drugs.

The men were remanded in custody.

They face life jail terms when they are sentenced later this month.

Amanda Jane Kelly

The victim

David John Houston