Predator's History of Evil Ends in Murder
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02 NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 14 2014 NATIONAL: 14 WORLD: 17 Wicking .........................40 Comics ............................42 Australia will buy Triton AUTHORITIES have denied long-range unmanned sur- reports that a missing plane Your Say .......................40 Television ......................42 veillance drones, continued to emit data National ..........................14 Classifieds .....................46 World ..............................17 Just Footy ......................25 ENTERTAINMENT: 39 BUSINESS: 44 Entertainment ..............39 Weather ........................55 Presenter Charlie Pickering The companies behind WA’s has quit Network Ten’s resources projects are being Puzzles ...........................43 Fishing ............................55 news talk show The Project flooded with job applications Business ........................44 Racing ............................21 GENERAL INQUIRIES: 8944 9900 l CLASSIFIEDS: 8944 9999 l CIRCULATION: 8944 9901 l ADVERTISING: 8944 9801 ONLINE: www.ntnews.com.au l EDITORIAL EMAIL: [email protected] l OTHER INQUIRIES: [email protected] Powerball Thursday March 13 Draw No. 930 Predator’s history of 3 31 37 9 38 4 POWERBALL 6 evil ends in murder Total prize pool $3.7m The NT News has taken all possible care but cannot accept responsibility for any errors, whether due to equipment fault, From Page 1 staff handling or any other cause The maximum penalty for bodily harm and gross in- Caught! decency was 14 years impris- Denise and Bruce Morcombe onment which, if served, would outside court after yesterday’s have put him behind bars at verdict in their son’s murder the time Daniel was murdered. Justice Mildren found there was “at least fair to good’’ prospects for rehabilitation “as is evidenced by remorse, his early plea and his own efforts to seek help’’. Prosecutors appealed in the The rapid pace of climate NT case, arguing Justice Mil- change could lead to a swift dren should have imposed decline in the number of concurrent sentences, a longer fish living near the equator. non-parole period or an in- creased sentence for the griev- ous bodily harm offence. The NT appeals court, com- prising Justice Gallop, Justice Kearney and Justice Morling, rejected the Crown appeal. How we reported on the “Although the Crown has Territory hunt for Cowan after made a very substantial argu- he molested a boy and left him ment that an overall sentence for dead at Berrimah in 1993 of seven years with a non-par- ole period of three-and-a-half years might well have been on the low side of the scale, it is not demonstrated to me that … this court is entitled to inter- fere,’’ Justice Gallop said. Justice Kearney said: “Views, of course, may differ as to the adequacy of the sen- tence which was imposed by the learned sentencing judge, but that’s frequently the case. “In our system, sentencing is the task of the sentencing judge and not that of an appeal court which has a limited func- Brett Peter Cowan was 2014 CROC CAPTURES tion in that respect.’’ yesterday found guilty of the Cowan later told police he Daniel Morcombe was abducted while waiting for a bus in 2003 on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast murder of Daniel Morcombe www.nt.gov.au/becrocwiseserved just four-and-a-half years over the NT attack. harmed by this episode’’. sexuality is concerned,’’ the “The community at large is sentencing judges in this kind 0 2 9 Judge Boulton, sentencing “However, it’s a matter of com- judge said. extremely disapproving of this of matter must take a strong, Cowan in the District Court in mon experience that children “Now, there is no way of sort of behaviour. It is most re- deterrent approach.” Brisbane in 1989 after a jury who are abused sexually as knowing whether this particu- pugnant that any person, even But the judge said he took found him guilty of indecent children often then find diffi- lar child will suffer some ad- though only 18 years of age, into account Cowan’s young dealing over the Brisbane at- culty later in life with making verse reaction later in life, should behave in this way. age and that it was his first tack, said it was “clear that the proper psychological adjust- suffice to say that you have put “The superior courts have conviction for an offence of its www.nt.gov.au/becrocwisewww.nt.gov.au/becrocwise child was not physically ments, particularly where their him at risk of that occurring. said from time to time that kind in reaching the sentence. www.nt.gov.au/becrocwise Chilling moment parents knew they had son’s killer By PETER HALL They said that of the 33 per- Mr Morcombe said Cowan alibi and a disgraceful record. P7 – aka Cowan – appeared to sons of interest, Brett Peter had stood out because of his The initial officers who inter- give evidence. FINDING Daniel Morcombe’s Cowan – codenamed P7 – had “disgraceful history’’. viewed him were aware of the “When he (Cowan) walked killer should have been “a sim- been strongly considered by “I felt he was a remarkably deficiency in his alibi but it was into the inquest on April 1 we ple puzzle to solve’’, his parents them. “He was in our top three simple person to identify and never run out.’’ knew,’’ Mr Morcombe said. believe. based on what we had read this was a simple puzzle to The Morcombes recalled “His hairstyle, stubble ... he The Morcombes have re- (about his previous crimes),’’ solve,’’ he said. the chilling moment they made himself look exactly like vealed their heart-wrenching Denise Morcombe said. “He (Cowan) had a terrible knew in their gut that they had the sketch. It was bizarre. He thoughts on the biggest inves- “Until the inquest, he had history of doing similar things seen their son’s murderer. had not said a word, but we tigation in Queensland history sailed along under the radar. and was the only POI who said Mr Morcombe said it was knew it was him. I think every- in an interview with News They (the police) just believed he drove in the area at the during the 2011 coronial in- one in the room did. We just Corp Australia. what Cowan said.’’ time. He had a huge hole in his quest sittings in Brisbane when knew he’s a done deal.’’ NTNE01Z01MA - V1.