Life imprisonment is the most severe criminal sentence available to the courts in Australia. Most cases attracting the sentence are murder. It is also imposed, albeit rarely, for sexual assault, manufacturing and trafficking commercial quantities of illicit drugs, and offences against the justice system and government security.
As of 2022, there are 418 prisoners in Australia serving a life sentence.[1]
The death penalty in Australia fell into disuse in 1967, and between then and 1985, each jurisdiction abolished it and (in most cases) replaced it with mandatory life imprisonment.
Mandatory life imprisonment was subsequently abolished in New South Wales in 1982,[2] Victoria in 1986,[2] Tasmania in 1995,[2] and Western Australia in 2008,[3] though it was reintroduced in New South Wales in 2011 for the murder of a police officer.[4] [5]
When the death penalty was abolished in the Australian Capital Territory in 1973, there were no offences subject to mandatory life imprisonment;[2] even so, life imprisonment can be imposed.
Life imprisonment remains mandatory for murder in South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland.
The criminal law and prisons are primarily administered by state and territory governments within Australia's federal system. As such, there is considerable divergence of which offences can attract life sentences across Australia.
The minimum non-parole period on a life sentence varies between jurisdictions, and between different crimes attracting the penalty. A life sentence in Western Australia, for a crime other than murder, attracts a minimum non-parole period of seven years, while the equivalent term in Queensland is 15 years. For murder, the minimum non-parole period on a life sentence in the Australian Capital Territory is 10 years, as it is in Western Australia (except when committed during an aggravated home burglary, in which case it is 15 years).
In South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, the minimum non-parole period for a life sentence for an offender convicted of murder is 20 years. In Queensland, if the offender has been convicted of the murder of a police officer, the minimum non-parole period is 25 years, and in the case of multiple/serial murder or where the offender has a prior conviction for murder, the minimum non-parole period is 30 years.[6] In the Northern Territory, exceptional circumstances can reduce the minimum 20 year non-parole period, but conversely, the minimum non-parole for murder in circumstances of aggravation is 25 years. In South Australia, a guilty plea discount can reduce up to 25% of the minimum non-parole period of 20 years. [7]
The minimum non-parole term for a life sentence in Victoria is 30 years, unless a court considers it not in the interest of justice to set such a term.[8]
New South Wales is the only Australian state or territory to provide for a mandatory life without parole sentence, specifically where the offender has been convicted of the murder of a police officer.[9]
Following a string of high-profile ‘coward punch’ related deaths, in 2014 the Queensland government created a new offence of unlawful striking causing death, the maximum penalty for which is life imprisonment.[10]
The Criminal Code of Queensland,[11] Western Australia[12] and the Northern Territory[13] also provide for life imprisonment for aircraft hijacking, aiding a suicide, terrorism and for perjuring to procure a conviction of an offence punishable by life imprisonment. The Criminal Code of the Northern Territory also provides for life imprisonment for terrorism and aircraft hijacking, as well as for most other serious violent offences.
Every state and territory except Tasmania provides for life imprisonment for some drug offences, though Tasmanians remain subject to Commonwealth law, which allows for life imprisonment for some drug offences. Primarily, these offences are manufacturing, trafficking or cultivating commercial quantities of controlled drugs and procuring children to do so, and in Queensland, supplying any quantity of particular drugs to children under 16.
Child sexual abuse offences can also attract a life sentence in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. In Queensland, if child sexual abuse was committed by a repeat offender, a life sentence is mandatory and cannot be mitigated or varied under any law. Other offences capable of attracting a sentence of life imprisonment are rape, arson, incest, riot (under aggravated circumstances), piracy and destroying sea walls (Queensland) and treason (Tasmania).
In Queensland, the law also provides a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for aircraft hijacking, burglary or unlawful entry into a dwelling (under aggravated circumstances or by means of a break), armed robbery, violent robbery, attempt to commit armed robbery, attempt to commit violent robbery, conspiracy to bring false accusation against another where an innocent person is convicted and punished with life imprisonment for a crime he or she did not commit, rape, aggravated sexual assault, manslaughter, attempted murder, stupefying (poisoning or drugging) with the intent to commit another indictable offence, disabling with intent to commit an indictable offence (choking, suffocating or strangulating or rendering or attempted to render any person incapable of resistance), and most other serious violent offences.
The Australian Capital Territory[14] and Victoria[15] [16] are the only Australian jurisdictions to explicitly prohibit the imposition of life imprisonment without parole on children.
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Abovestyle: | background:#DCDCDC; font-size: 100%; |
Above: | Prisoners serving life sentences in Australia (2022)[17] |
Labelstyle: | font-weight:normal; |
Label1: | Most serious offence |
Data1a: | Number of prisoners |
Label2: | Homicide offences |
Data2a: | 392 |
Label3: | Sexual assault offences |
Data3a: | 17 |
Label4: | Illicit drug offences |
Data4a: | 3 |
Label5: | Offences against justice |
Data5a: | 3 |
Label6: | Total |
Data6a: | 418 |
Under Commonwealth legislation, there are 68 offences that can attract life imprisonment.
Sixty three such offences are within the Criminal Code Act 1995,[18] including the setting or placing of explosive and lethal devices; treason, treachery and espionage offences; terrorist acts, as well as preparing or planning terrorist acts and financing terrorism; incursions into foreign countries with the intention of engaging in hostile activity and related preparatory conduct (including accumulating weapons, providing or participating in training, giving or receiving goods and services and allowing use of buildings and vehicles to support such offences).
Further offences in the Criminal Code that allow for life imprisonment include crimes against humanity (genocide, war crimes), the murder of UN personnel and various drug offences including manufacturing, trafficking importing and exporting of commercial quantities of controlled drugs and plants, cultivating commercial quantities of controlled plants, and procuring children to facilitate similar drug offences.
The Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991[19] provides for life imprisonment for hijacking offences, destruction of aircraft with intent to kill and prejudicing safe operation of an aircraft with intention to kill, and the Crimes Act 1914 provides for life imprisonment for piracy.[20]
The longest overall non-parole period for a single murder is 45 years and six months, being served by Michael Barry Fyfe (South Australia), who stabbed fellow inmate Trevor Tilley in the kitchen of Yatala Prison in January 1995 while serving a -year sentence for other crimes.
The longest non-parole period imposed for a single murder is 35 years, being served by Melbourne CBD gunman Christopher Wayne Hudson (Victoria).[21]
The longest non-parole period imposed on a woman is 32 years, being served by South Australian Angelika Gavare, who murdered and dismembered pensioner Vonne McGlynn in November 2008 for financial gain,[22] and Victorian Cai Xia Liao, who repeatedly stabbed Mai Mach and her four-year-old grandson Alistair Kwong with gardening shears in a vicious attack.[23]
Notable prisoners serving at least one life imprisonment with specified non-parole period:
Name | State | Convictions | Sentence | Non-parole period | Age at sentence | data-sort-type="isoDate" | Date of sentence | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaymes Todd | Victoria | Murder; rape; attempted rape; sexual assault | Life Imprisonment | 35 years | 20 | September 2019 | |||
Adrian Ernest Bayley | Victoria | Murder; rape | Life Imprisonment | 35 years | 41 | June 2013 | |||
Garry Francis Newman | SA | Murder | Life Imprisonment | 29 years | 50 | April 2010 | |||
Ernest Fisher | WA | Murder | Life Imprisonment | 18 years | 67 | August 2018 | [24] | ||
Brett Peter Cowan | QLD | Murder; indecent treatment of a child under 16; interference with a corpse | Life Imprisonment | 20 years | 44 | March 2014 | [25] Sentenced over the murder of Daniel Morcombe | ||
Dieter Pfennig | SA | Murder ×2; abduction ×2; rape | 2× life imprisonment | 60 years | 44 | data-sort-value="1992-01-01" | 1992: 25* years; 2016: additional 35 years | [26] *1994 ‘Truth in sentencing’ legislation reduced an initial 38 year non-parole period to 25 years. Pfenning has the longest non-parole period of any Australian prisoner: he will be 103 before he becomes eligible for parole. | |
Michael Fyfe | SA | Murder; attempted murder; causing grievous bodily harm; causing death by dangerous driving; assaulting a police officer ×2; several assaults; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; escape lawful custody | Life imprisonment | 45 years and 6 months | data-sort-value="25" | In custody since age 25 [27] | data-sort-value="1987-05-01" | In custody since May 1987 | [28] Fyfe's total non-parole period is the longest of any Australian prisoner convicted of a single murder. |
Angelika Gavare | SA | Murder | Life imprisonment | 32 years | 35 | data-sort-value="2011-11-01" | November 2011 | [29] [30] Gavare's non-parole period is, equal with Cai Xia Liao, the longest imposed on a female by any Australian court. | |
James Miller | SA | Murder ×6 | 6× life imprisonment | 35 years* | 40 | data-sort-value="1980-03-01" | March 1980 | Deceased; died of cancer in October 2008. *Miller applied for a non-parole period to be determined in 1999, which was approved and imposed in February 2000.[31] | |
James Gargasoulas | Victoria | Murder ×6; reckless conduct endangering life ×27 | 6× life imprisonment | 46 years | 27 | data-sort-value="2019-02-01" | February 2019 | [32] Gargasoulas received the longest non-parole period resulting from a single trial of any Australian prisoner. | |
Carl Williams | Victoria | Murder ×3; conspiracy to murder | 3× life imprisonment | 35 years | 36 | data-sort-value="2007-05-01" | May 2007 | [33] Deceased; killed in prison April 2010 | |
Keith Faure | Victoria | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 19 years | 54 | data-sort-value="2006-05-01" | May 2006 | [34] | |
Malcolm Clarke | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 25 years | 49 | data-sort-value="2004-12-01" | December 2004 | [35] | |
Nicola Spina | Victoria | Murder2; false imprisonment | 2× life imprisonment | 25 years | 54 | data-sort-value="2003-08-01" | August 2003 | [36] Deceased, died in prison in 2011 of a heart attack | |
John Sharpe | Victoria | Murder ×2 | 2× Life imprisonment | 33 years | 38 | data-sort-value="2005-08-01" | August 2005 | [37] | |
Brent Quarry | Victoria | Murder; causing injury intentionally; causing injury recklessly | Life imprisonment | 24 years | 32 | data-sort-value="2004-02-01" | February 2004 | [38] | |
Michael Lane | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 24 years | 48 | data-sort-value="2003-06-01" | June 2003 | [39] | |
Gregory Brazel | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 27 years | 48 | data-sort-value="2003-03-01" | March 2003 | [40] * | |
Lloyd Crosbie | Victoria | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 30 years | 20 | data-sort-value="2003-03-01" | March 2003 | [41] | |
Andrew Norrie | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 14 years and 6 months | 39 | data-sort-value="2001-12-01" | December 2001 | [42] | |
Peter Knight | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 23 years | 48 | data-sort-value="2002-11-01" | November 2002 | [43] | |
John Horrocks | Victoria | Murder; attempted murder, conduct endangering life | Life imprisonment | 23 years | 39 | data-sort-value="2000-10-01" | October 2000 | [44] | |
Truong Phuc | Victoria | Murder; kidnapping | Life imprisonment | 23 years and 8 months | 40 | data-sort-value="2000-06-01" | June 2000 | [45] | |
Dean Williamson | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 24 years | 30 | data-sort-value="2000-03-01" | March 2000 | [46] Deceased; died by suicide in 2000 at Barwon Prison | |
Robert Parsons | Victoria | Murder | Life imprisonment | 25 years | 55 | data-sort-value="1999-05-01" | May 1999 | [47] | |
Manuel Adajian | Victoria | Murder ×2; attempted murder; armed robbery | 2× life imprisonment | 25 years | 42 | data-sort-value="1998-05-01" | May 1998 | [48] [49] | |
Lindsay Beckett | Victoria | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 35 years | 24 | data-sort-value="1998-08-01" | August 1998 | [50] [51] | |
Christopher Hudson | Victoria | Murder; attempted murder ×2; intentionally causing serious injury | Life imprisonment | 35 years | 30 | data-sort-value="2008-09-01" | September 2008 | [52] Hudson received the longest non-parole period for a single murder of any Australian prisoner. | |
Cai Xia Liao | Victoria | Murder ×2; intentionally causing injury; false imprisonment | Life imprisonment | 32 years | 45 | data-sort-value="2015-12-01" | December 2015 | [53] Liao's non-parole period is, equal with Angelika Gavare, the longest imposed on a female by any Australian court | |
Massimo Sica | QLD | Murder ×3 | 3× life imprisonment | 35 years | 42 | data-sort-value="2012-07-01" | July 2012 | [54] | |
Valmae Beck | QLD | Murder; rape | Life imprisonment | 14 years and 6 months | 44 | data-sort-value="1988-01-01" | 1988 | Deceased, died of heart failure May 2008 | |
Tracey Wigginton | QLD | Murder | Life imprisonment | 13 years | 25 | data-sort-value="1991-01-01" | January 1991 | Wigginton was released on parole in January 2012[55] | |
Jessica Stasinowsky | WA | Wilful murder | Strict security life imprisonment | 24 years | 21 | data-sort-value="2008-03-01" | March 2008 | [56] | |
Valerie Parashumti | WA | Wilful murder | Strict security life imprisonment | 24 years | 19 | data-sort-value="2008-03-01" | March 2008 | ||
Catherine Birnie | WA | Murder ×4; aggravated sexual assault; deprivation of liberty | 4× strict security life imprisonment | 20 years | 35 | data-sort-value="1987-03-01" | March 1987 | [57] *Though becoming parole eligible in 2007, every serving Attorney General since has invariably stated Birnie will be denied parole during their tenure.[58] [59] [60] | |
David Birnie | WA | Murder ×4; aggravated sexual assault; deprivation of liberty | 4× strict security life imprisonment | 20 years | 36 | data-sort-value="1987-02-01" | February & March 1987 | Deceased; died by suicide in October 2005 | |
Dante Arthurs | WA | Murder, unlawful detention | Life imprisonment | 13 years | 23 | data-sort-value="2007-11-01" | November 2007 | [61] Arthurs was refused parole in 2019[62] | |
‘F’ (an unidentified child) | WA | Wilful murder | Life imprisonment | 12 years | 16 (15 at time of offence) | data-sort-value="1992-08-01" | August 1992 | [63] ‘F’ was released from prison in 2014 after serving 22 years, with a subsequent parole term of five years [64] | |
Douglas Crabbe | NT | Murder ×5 | 5× Life imprisonment | 30 years* | 38 | data-sort-value="1985-10-01" | October 1985 |
| |
Bradley Murdoch | NT | Murder; deprivation of liberty; aggravated unlawful assault | Life imprisonment | 28 years | 47 | December 2005 | [66] | ||
Evelyn Namatjira | NT | Murder | Life imprisonment | 15 years | 46 | December 2012 | [67] | ||
Ben William McLean | NT | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 25 years | 20 | May 2005 | [68] | ||
Phu Ngoc Trinh | NT | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 25 years | 19 | May 2005 | |||
James O'Neill | Tasmania | Murder | Life imprisonment | undetermined* | 28 | Convicted November 1975 | [69] [70] [71] *O'Neill was denied parole after applications in 1991 and 2005. He is now Tasmania's longest serving prisoner[72] See also: Disappearance of the Beaumont children |
In the most extreme cases, the sentencing judge will refuse to fix a non-parole period, which means that the prisoner will spend the rest of their life in prison. Notable prisoners serving at least one sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole include:
Name | State | Conviction | Sentence | Age at sentence | data-sort-type="isoDate" | Date of sentence | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lian Bin (Robert) Xie | NSW | Murder ×5 | 5× life imprisonment | 53 | February 2017 | ||
Vincent Stanford | NSW | Murder; aggravated sexual assault | Life imprisonment plus 15 years | 26 | October 2016 | ||
Roger Dean | NSW | Murder ×11; recklessly causing grievous bodily harm ×8; larceny as a clerk ×2 | 11× life imprisonment plus 21 years | 37 | August 2013 | ||
Bronson Blessington | NSW | Murder; abduction; rape; robbery ×2 | Life imprisonment plus 25 years* | 16; 14 at time of offending | September 1990 |
| |
Matthew Elliott | NSW | Murder; abduction; rape ×2; robbery ×2 | Life imprisonment plus 25 years* | 18; 16 at time of offending | September 1990 |
| |
Phuong Ngo | NSW | Murder | Life imprisonment | 43 | November 2001 | [76] | |
Glen McNamara | NSW | Murder; supplying of a prohibited drug in an amount not less than a large commercial quantity | Life imprisonment plus 12 years | 57 | September 2016 | [77] | |
Roger Rogerson | NSW | Murder; supplying of a prohibited drug in an amount not less than a large commercial quantity | Life imprisonment plus 12 years | 75 | September 2016 | ||
Mark Valera | NSW | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 21 | December 2000 | [78] | |
Sef Gonzales | NSW | Murder ×3 | 3× life imprisonment | 24 | September 2004 | [79] | |
Andrew Garforth | NSW | Murder | Life imprisonment plus 30 years | 29 | July 1993 | [80] | |
Crespin Adanguidi | NSW | Murder ×3 | 3× life imprisonment | 27 | June 2005 | [81] | |
Ramzi Aouad | NSW | Murder ×2 | 2× life imprisonment | 25 | November 2006 | ||
Allan Baker | NSW | Murder; conspiracy to murder; malicious wounding with intent to prevent lawful apprehension ×2 | Life imprisonment plus 55 years hard labour | 26 | June 1974 | [84] | |
Kevin Crump | NSW | Murder; conspiracy to murder; malicious wounding with intent to prevent lawful apprehension ×2 | Life imprisonment plus 55 years hard labour | 25 | June 1974 | Reduced to one term of life without parole plus 55 years on appeal in 1997 | |
John Travers | NSW | Murder; taking with intent to hold for advantage; assault; robbery; wounding; inflicting actual bodily harm with the intent to have sexual intercourse; stealing a car | Life imprisonment plus 50 years | 20 | July 1987 | [85] | |
Michael Murphy | NSW | Murder; taking with intent to hold for advantage; assault; robbery; wounding; inflicting actual bodily harm with the intent to have sexual intercourse; stealing a car | Life imprisonment plus 50 years | 34 | July 1987 | Deceased; died February 2019 | |
Gary Murphy | NSW | Murder; taking with intent to hold for advantage; assault; robbery; wounding; inflicting actual bodily harm with the intent to have sexual intercourse; stealing a car | Life imprisonment plus 50 years | 29 | July 1987 | ||
Leslie Murphy | NSW | Murder; taking with intent to hold for advantage; assault; robbery; wounding; inflicting actual bodily harm with the intent to have sexual intercourse; stealing a car | Life imprisonment plus 48 years | 23 | July 1987 | ||
Michael Murdoch | NSW | Murder; taking with intent to hold for advantage; assault; robbery; wounding; inflicting actual bodily harm with the intent to have sexual intercourse; stealing a car | Life imprisonment plus 50 years | 20 | July 1987 | ||
Malcolm Baker | NSW | Murder ×6 | 6× life imprisonment | 45 | August 1993 | [86] | |
Samuel Boyd | NSW | Murder ×4; wounding with intent to murder | 4× life imprisonment plus 25 years | 29 | January 1985 | The life sentence for the conviction of wounding with intent to murder was reduced to 25 years on appeal in 1994[87] | |
John Cribb | NSW | Murder ×3; rape ×3; kidnapping ×2; false imprisonment ×2; armed robbery ×9; escaping lawful custody | 3× life imprisonment plus 45 years | 28 | May 1979 | Deceased; died February 2018[88] | |
Adnan Darwiche | NSW | Murder ×2; attempted murder; discharging a firearm with intent to do grievous bodily harm | 2× life imprisonment plus 26 years | 30 | November 2006 | [89] | |
John Glover | NSW | Murder ×6; attempted murder; robbery with wounding; robbery; indecent assault ×4; assault | 6× Life imprisonment | 58 | November 1990 | Deceased; died by suicide September 2005[90] | |
Matthew Harris | NSW | Murder ×3; armed robbery | 2× life imprisonment plus 40 years | 31 | December 1999* |
| |
Michael Kanaan | NSW | Murder ×3; malicious wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm ×4; discharging firearm with intent to prevent lawful apprehension; accessory to the fact after malicious wounding | 3× life imprisonment plus 50 years and 4 months | 26 | October 2001 | [92] | |
Lindsey Rose | NSW | Murder ×5; robbery ×2; conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; kidnapping; robbery while armed; maliciously destroying property by fire; malicious wounding; larceny; supplying a prohibited drug | 5× life imprisonment plus 39 years | 43 | September 1998 | [93] | |
Naseam El-Zeyat | NSW | Murder ×2* | 2× life imprisonment* | 26 | November 2006 | ||
Ivan Milat | NSW | Murder ×7; attempted murder; false imprisonment; robbery | 7× life imprisonment plus 18 years | 51 | July 1996 | Deceased; died in hospital 27 October 2019[96] | |
Katherine Knight | NSW | Murder | Life imprisonment | 46 | November 2001 | [97] | |
Mark Lewis | NSW | Murder ×2 | Life imprisonment plus 18 years | 58 | June 2000 | [98] | |
Leonard Warwick | NSW | Murder ×3; exploding an explosive device which destroys or damages a building with intent to murder ×2; placing an explosive substance into a vehicle with intent to murder; maliciously placing an explosive substance near a building with intent to damage the building; maliciously, by an explosion, causing grievous bodily harm ×13 | 3× life imprisonment plus 100 years | 73 | September 2020 | [99] [100] | |
Julian Knight | Victoria | Murder ×7; attempted murder ×46 | 7× life imprisonment, non-parole period 27 years. | 21 | November 1989 |
| |
Michael Cardamone | Victoria | Murder; incitement to murder; breaching a prescribed condition of parole | Life imprisonment plus 8 years and three months | 50 | August 2017 | [104] | |
Leslie Camilleri | Victoria | Murder ×3 | 2× life imprisonment plus 28 years | 29 | April 1999 | In December 2013, Camilleri was sentenced to a further 28 years prison for his third murder conviction [105] [106] | |
Ashley Coulston | Victoria | Murder ×3; armed robbery ×2; false imprisonment ×2; recklessly endangering life ×2; intentionally causing injury; assault; using a firearm to resist arrest | 3× life imprisonment plus 7 years | 38 | September 1995 | [107] | |
Bandali Debs | Victoria | Murder ×4 | 4× life imprisonment | 49 | February 2003 | Sentenced to two life sentences in February 2003; a further life sentence in June 2007; and another in February 2012 [108] [109] [110] | |
Raymond Edmunds | Victoria | Murder ×2; rape ×6; attempted rape ×2; indecent assault ×3; assault causing bodily harm ×2; attempt to escape lawful custody and false imprisonment | 2× life imprisonment plus 54 years 5 months | 42 | April 1986 | Sentenced to 2× life plus 30 years for two murders and rapes in October 1986;[111] received an additional 12 months for attempted prison escape in 1992, and 23 years and 5 months for further rapes in 2019 | |
Paul Haigh | Victoria | Murder ×6, armed robbery | 6× life imprisonment + 60 years | 23 | November 1980 | Haigh was convicted of the murder of an inmate in 1993 and sentenced to a further term of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years[112] | |
Peter Dupas | Victoria | Murder ×3 | 3× life imprisonment | 47 | August 2000 | First life imprisonment sentence imposed in August 2000; second in August 2004; the third in August 2007[113] [114] [115] | |
Robert Lowe | Victoria | Murder; kidnapping | Life imprisonment plus 15 years | 57 | December 1994 | [116] | |
Stanley Taylor | Victoria | Murder; intentionally causing serious injury ×2; causing an explosion; burglary; car theft; theft | Life imprisonment plus 13 years | 50 | August 1988 | Deceased; died October 2016[117] | |
John Bunting | South Australia | Murder ×11 | 11× life imprisonment | 37 | October 2003 | [118] | |
Robert Wagner | South Australia | Murder ×10 | 10× life imprisonment | 31 | October 2003 | Wagner's application for a non-parole period to be set was denied in May 2019[119] | |
Mark Rust | South Australia | Murder ×2; rape; assault; gross indecency | 2× life imprisonment plus 12 years | 39 | April 2004 | [120] | |
Rebecca Mahony | QLD | Attempted murder; rape ×13; indecent treatment of a child under 16 ×6; assault occasioning bodily harm while armed and in company ×3; unlawfully procuring a child under 16 years to commit and indecent act; taking a child for immoral purposes; making child exploitation material; deprivation of liberty; common assault; stupefying in order to commit an indictable offence; torture; unlawfully wounding another | 2× life imprisonment plus 80 years | 32 | December 2011 | [121] Mahoney's co-conspirator Andrew Shenfield was initially sentenced to life without parole, but his sentence was reduced to 18 years prison on appeal. Mahoney also appealed her sentence, but was denied and the original sentence upheld. [122] [123] [124] | |
Barrie Watts | QLD | Murder, rape, abduction | Life imprisonment plus 18 years | 37 | February 1990 | [125] | |
Dennis Sore | QLD | Murder | Life imprisonment | 43 | February 2023 | [126] | |
Anthony Harvey | WA | Murder ×5 | 5× life imprisonment | 25 | July 2019 | [127] Harvey is the first person in Western Australia to receive a 'never to be released' order.[128] | |
Benjamin Hoffmann | NT | Murder ×3; manslaughter; recklessly endangering life ×3; threatening to kill; drug possession | 3× life imprisonment plus 15 years | 48 | October 2022 | [129] | |
Martin Leach | NT | Murder ×2; rape; assaulting a police officer | 3× life imprisonment plus 3 months | 25 | May 1984 | [130] | |
Andrew Albury | NT | Murder | Life imprisonment | 22 | July 1984 | [131] | |
William Turner | NT | Various sexual assaults, including sexual assaults against children | Indefinite sentence plus nine years | 52 | May 2008 | [132] | |
Martin Bryant | Tasmania | Murder ×35; attempted murder ×20; grievous bodily harm ×3; wounding ×8; aggravated assault ×4; unlawful setting fire to property; arson | 35× life imprisonment plus 1,652 years | 29 | November 1996 | [133] | |
Allen Thompson | ACT | Murder ×6 | 6× life imprisonment | 24 | October 1984 | [134] [135] | |
Abuzar Sultani | NSW | Murder ×3 | 3× Life imprisonment | 32 | December 2021 | ||
Siar Munshizada | NSW | Murder ×3 | 3× Life imprisonment | 33 | December 2021 |