NSW: Family disappointed with sentence for police killer

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NSW: Family disappointed with sentence for police killer

(EDS: Reissuing, correcting date of conviction in third par from last month to June)

By Gavin Lower

SYDNEY, Aug 23 AAP - The family of a policeman run down by a man in a stolen car wasdisappointed with the 16-year sentence handed down to his murderer today, saying thereshould be minimum penalties for killing police officers.

Trevor Edward Holton, 27, was sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court for murdering SnrConst Jim Affleck, who was struck while laying road spikes on the M5 motorway in Campbelltown,in Sydney's west, on January 14 last year.

In June, a jury found Holton guilty of murdering Snr Const Affleck on the grounds thathis driving during a police chase after a bag snatch showed reckless indifference to humanlife.

Outside court, Snr Const Affleck's older brother, Paul, said the family thought thesentence would be much higher and despite being assured it was at the top end of sentencing,in their opinion it was not enough.

"If somebody is prepared to kill a police officer they're prepared to kill anybodyand I think yes, they should have a sentence which is much stronger for police," he said.

"They're out there doing their job protecting us and that should be reflected in the sentencing.

"Killing a police officer, and there's been a number in the last two years or so, thereshould be a minimum sentence for it, a strong sentence to stop it."

The jury was told Holton was pursued by police, who at times called off the chase becauseit became too dangerous, for about 43km.

Holton, who had never had a drivers' licence, reached speeds of up to 180kph, overtookcars in the breakdown lane, narrowly avoided a head-on collision and drove on the wrongside of the road while a four-year-old girl sat unrestrained in the back seat.

The court was told Holton saw Snr Const Affleck laying road spikes across the motorway,which he knew from a computer game were designed to stop him.

He veered to the right to try and avoid the spikes by aiming for a space between themand Snr Const Affleck's police car, but struck and killed the policeman.

The stolen car rolled several times and Holton ran away from the crash leaving theunhurt four-year-old behind.

Sentencing Holton, Acting Justice Thomas Davidson said Holton had been motivated byhis own interests in avoiding arrest.

"In this case the deceased was an experienced, capable and courageous police officerwhose life was taken whilst endeavouring to the best of his considerable ability and capacityto do his duty and serve the community," he said.

Justice Davidson said he took into account Holton's contrition and sentenced him to16 years jail with a non-parole period of 12 years dating from January last year.

Holton will be eligible for parole in January, 2013.

He also disqualified Holton from obtaining a driver's licence for 20 years.

Paul Affleck said his brother's widow, Trish, was "very distraught" with the sentenceand had been hoping for "better closure".

He said the family had been hoping for life "but realistically we would have likedto have seen him in jail for at least 20 years".

NSW Attorney-General Bob Debus later said he was seeking advice from the Director ofPublic Prosecutions on the prospects of an appeal.

The state opposition denounced the sentence as farcical.

Outside court, the police officer who headed the investigation into Snr Const Affleck'sdeath, Inspector Hans Rupp, said: "Trish has lost a good husband, his work colleagueshave lost a great mate and unfortunately for NSW we've lost a great policeman.

"You just can't replace police of the calibre of Jim Affleck."

AAP gl/nf/ph/sb/nf/sb

KEYWORD: HOLTON NIGHTLEAD