An aboriginal paedophile and repeat domestic violence offender has been jailed for life for murdering his girlfriend in Perth.
Christopher Thomas Dimer, 42, was in July found guilty by a Western Australia Supreme Court jury of murdering Shauna Lee Rose Headland, 26, in March 2022.
Dimer has a long criminal record including sexual penetration of a child, unlawful wounding, assaulting a former partner with a knife, pushing another into traffic while she was in a wheelchair, and two earlier attacks on Ms Headland.
The court heard he had never held down a job, had been living off Centrelink payments for his entire life, had never attended school, and abused drugs and alcohol.
In sentencing Justice Joseph McGrath rejected Dimer’s false claim that Ms Headland was killed by a falling knife that had been used to hold up a curtain.
Dimer told police who caught up with him after he fled the scene that he had tried to catch the knife but failed, and had run away in a panic.
The blade penetrated 10cm into Ms Headland’s neck, and her cousin and sister testified that although they did not see the stabbing, they witnessed Dimer throw scissors at her, punch her in the face and kick her body during an argument.
The pair had been drinking and smoking cannabis in the Nollamara townhouse, and Dimer had injected meth.
Justice McGrath found that Dimer was “not willing or able” to show remorse for killing Ms Headland, The West Australian reported.
“You have shown an unwillingness to accept responsibility for killing the deceased,” he said.
“Your act was a senseless attack on a vulnerable woman.
“You’ve caused immense grief to the family, who will continue to struggle with the loss of the deceased.”
He sentenced Dimer to life with a non-parole period of 20 years.
Pictured above: Christopher Dimer, left, Shauna Headland, right
