August 26th 2024.
The man responsible for the tragic death of young Charlise Mutten has been handed a life sentence for his heartless actions. Justin Stein, who had been in a relationship with Charlise's mother Kallista, was found guilty of murder despite his futile attempts to shift the blame onto her.
The 33-year-old received the maximum sentence of life in prison without parole in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday. The court heard how Charlise's body was discovered on January 18, 2022, near the Colo River with gunshot wounds to her face and back. Justice Helen Wilson, who presided over the case, stated that Stein had shot the nine-year-old as she tried to escape before approaching her and firing a second shot at close range.
The judge described the crime as "shockingly callous" and condemned Stein for his lack of remorse. She also recalled how during the trial, she had witnessed him faking tears as he gave a false account of Charlise's death. Justice Wilson saw through his deceit, noting that he did not shed a single tear despite his supposed distress.
In fact, Stein's lack of emotion and his attempts to evade responsibility for his actions were cited as major factors in the decision to sentence him to life in prison. Crown prosecutor Ken McKay emphasized the extreme nature of the crime and argued that a life sentence was the only appropriate punishment for such a heinous act.
Stein's lawyer Carolyn Davenport, on the other hand, pleaded for leniency, describing a life sentence as "cruel and unusual punishment" for a man of his age. She also claimed that there was no known motive for the murder. However, toxicology results revealed that Charlise had traces of an anti-psychotic drug in her body, which Stein had a prescription for. This raised questions about his mental state and possibly his motive for the crime.
Charlise's death was a devastating loss for her family, who were left reeling from the senseless act. The young girl had been visiting her mother and Stein for Christmas, and on the night of her murder, she had been left alone with him at a property in the Blue Mountains while her mother was staying elsewhere. The court heard how Stein had a history of schizophrenia and was prescribed medication for it, which could have had a sedative effect on Charlise.
The day Charlise's body was found, investigators charged Stein with her murder after tracing his phone's location data to the spot where he had dumped her body in a barrel. He later confessed to dumping the body but claimed he had panicked upon discovering it on the back of his ute. However, the evidence and testimonies presented during the trial painted a different picture, one of a cold and calculated individual who showed no remorse for his actions. Justice Wilson ultimately delivered a just and fair sentence for this shocking and callous crime.
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