Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Qld court hears killer’s sentence appeal
The Queensland Court of Appeal has reserved its decision over an appeal to the sentence handed to the man who punched and killed teen Cole Miller.
September 13, 2018
Queensland’s Court of Appeal judges are considering if the man who killed promising teenage sportsman Cole Miller should have his jail term increased to 12 years.
Lawyers for Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath have argued the seven-year sentence given to Armstrong Renata for the single-punch death in 2016 was inadequate and should be bumped up.
Mr Miller was struck from behind by Renata while on a night out in the Fortitude Valley nightclub district.
The 18-year-old suffered massive brain trauma and his family made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support two days later.
“What we have here is bordering on the worst example of that type of offence … here the starting point needs to be something that resembles … that maximum penalty,” barrister Carl Heaton QC said on Wednesday.
Under his current sentence Renata, 23, who pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful striking causing death, will be able to apply for parole in less than four years.