By Danielle Kutchel
The niece of a Devon Meadows greyhound trainer has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for her brutal murder.
Jessie Moore was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday 1 September, after pleading guilty to the murder of her great aunt Karen Leek in March this year.
The court heard that on Monday 25 May, 26-year-old Moore picked up a hammer and struck Ms Leek to the head and face at least 12 times, killing her.
Moore then wrapped the 69-year-old’s face in a plastic bag and left the house, taking her keys, wallet and phone.
Moore and her five-year-old daughter Addyson had been living at Ms Leek’s Devon Meadows home since 2018.
The court heard the relationship between Moore and Ms Leak soured when Moore began using drugs.
In April 2019, Addyson went into the care of relatives and Moore moved out of the Devon Meadows residence.
There was an altercation between Moore and Ms Leek around this time, witnessed by Ms Leek’s brother David.
A few months later, Moore moved back into Ms Leek’s home with Addyson.
By this point, the court heard, Moore was pregnant with her second child.
The court heard Ms Leek told Moore she would not be able to care for a newborn, and was “frustrated” with Moore’s behaviour and her lack of care for Addyson.
Moore made plans to move in with her partner, Justin Carroll, but lied to him about her drug use and restricted access to her daughter.
By Sunday 24 May 2020, Moore was manipulating her DHHS drug tests and had decided to move out of the Devon Meadows home with her daughter.
She and Ms Leek argued about Addyson the day before the murder.
Another argument broke out just minutes before the attack – with Addyson able to overhear, the court was told.
After the attack, Moore took the murder weapon and fled with her daughter.
The next morning, she claimed to emergency services to have ‘discovered’ Ms Leek’s body that day.
She was initially interviewed and released without charge, but was arrested on 4 June 2020 after police obtained DNA results and after Mr Carroll told police he had found a suspicious bag in his children’s bedroom in their new house.
That bag contained a blood-stained hammer, gloves, and Ms Leek’s car keys and wallet.
An autopsy determined Ms Leek’s death was caused by “‘blunt force head injuries”, the court was told.
The autopsy was not able to determine whether Ms Leek was alive or dead when the bag was tied over her head.
The court heard Moore had had a difficult childhood, with DHHS becoming involved when she was just eight years old.
She was bullied at school, exposed to family violence and diagnosed with an intellectual disability as a child.
Mr Carroll was abusive towards her during their relationship, the court heard.
Moore now has very little contact with Addyson and her second daughter, Charlotte, is likely to be placed in the sole custody of Mr Carroll.
Moore was also on ice until just days before the murder.
A psychological report supplied to the court determined Moore also had recurrent depressive disorder with anxious distress as well as features of borderline personality disorder, and is suffering from PTSD stemming from the killing of Ms Leek.
The report concluded that at the time of the murder, Moore’s ability to think clearly and rationally was moderately impaired.
In sentencing, Justice Coghlan said it was possible Moore would have “little or no contact” with her youngest daughter and would be separated from both girls “for a substantial part of their formative years”.
Justice Coghlan was satisfied that Moore exhibited genuine remorse for her actions.
Moore was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of Ms Leek, with a non-parole period of 13 years.
Moore has already served 454 days in pre-sentence detention.
