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Family of murdered Australian fiancee vow to appeal killer’s sentence

Amy Parsons' family say her former fiance's sentence for her murder is inadequate.

Amy Parsons' family say her former fiance's sentence for her murder is inadequate. Photo: ABC

The devastated family of an Australian woman who was bludgeoned to death by her British fiance after she wanted to leave him say they will appeal the 17-year sentence handed to her murderer.

Roderick Deakin-White, 38, was found guilty of carrying out the “horrendous and savage” attack on Amy Parsons, 35, while she was showering in the flat they shared in Whitechapel, east London.

She was left naked and bleeding to death after suffering “horrific injuries” to her head, face and brain during the attack on April 25, a court heard.

Deakin-White was found guilty of her murder by a jury on November 19.

On Tuesday, Deakin-White was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court to life in jail, with a minimum of 17 years.

“Your view was that if you can’t have her, no one can have her, and you killed her,” Judge John Lafferty said.

“There is no sentence I can pass upon you today that will bring back Miss Parsons – a young, successful, vivacious and kind-hearted young woman, whose life was brutally taken by you.”

amy parsons deakin white murder

Australian Amy Parsons with Roderick Deakin-White in London.

At the sentencing, Ms Parsons’ sister Eve, 40, spoke of her family’s grief in a victim impact statement read out in court.

She described Ms Parsons as the “bright light” of the family and a “beautiful person”.

“Nothing could have prepared me to deal with this loss,” she said. “All of our family are as heartbroken as it is possible to be.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Ms Parsons’ sister said her family would lodge an appeal.

“We are disappointed with the sentence and based on what the judge had said, and that he had agreed with so many of the prosecutor’s points, we thought the sentence would be much higher,” she said.

“Seventeen years does not do her justice.”

During Deakin-White’s trial, the court heard how personal assistant Ms Parsons had become increasingly unhappy with her relationship, particularly because of his cross-dressing habits. He liked to wear women’s underwear when they were intimate.

Deakin-White became angry and jealous after Ms Parsons began a relationship with her colleague James Saunders a few weeks before the killing.

The prosecutor told jurors Deakin-White launched the attack after she told him she was leaving him.

He fled the flat the couple shared before confessing to a friend, who persuaded him to hand himself in.

In interviews with police, Deakin-White admitted attacking Ms Parsons but denied murder, claiming it was an “accident”.

-with AAP

Topics: Murder
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