Killer Given Time To Launch Appeal
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday December 14, 2004
ABERDEEN murderer Katherine Mary Knight will attempt to have her life sentence redetermined in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal next year.
In 2001, Knight a former meatworker pleaded guilty to stabbing her de facto husband, John Charles Price, 37 times, then skinning and beheading him before cooking parts of his body.Her appeal has been listed in the courts since April 15 this year, but the matter has not progressed.On November 29, the court ordered Knight to show why her matter should not be dismissed.Appearing before the court yesterday wearing prison greens, glasses and sandshoes, the 49-year-old appeared slightly confused.Flanked by two corrective services guards, the Mulawa Correction Centre inmate was brought up from the cells to find her legal representative, Eliza Amparo of Sydney firm Kings Lawyers, absent.Justice Peter Hidden asked Knight to tell him about Mr King, who she believed was representing her.Knight replied: "Yes he's going to be a barrister. He's doing his course for it".Judge Hidden adjourned the matter until Knight's lawyer could be located.During Knight's second appearance about an hour later she was told Ms Amparo had been delayed.On the third call, Ms Amparo appeared and explained that Kings Lawyers, acting pro bono, had been instructed in August. Initially, Knight wanted to appeal against the sentence and conviction. This application had since been withdrawn and the firm needed another month to go over "two boxes of material" before lodging grounds to appeal against the severity of the sentence.Ms Amparo said the firm was making another application for legal aid, which was withdrawn in April on advice the case had a lack of merit.Justice Hidden said it was inappropriate to dismiss the application for an appeal. He reinstated orders from April.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald
