June 28th 2024.
A man who was addicted to drugs and had a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend has been found guilty of her murder. Toby Loughnane, a 44-year-old man, was recently on trial in the Supreme Court in Melbourne for killing his girlfriend, Maryam Hamka, at his home in Brighton. Prosecutors have stated that Loughnane murdered the 36-year-old woman in the early hours of April 11, 2021, after months of violent assaults and threatening messages.
During the trial, it was revealed that Loughnane had disposed of Hamka's body in a shallow grave at Cape Schanck, southeast of Melbourne, on April 14. However, it wasn't until August 2023 that he led investigators to her remains. Loughnane initially denied the murder charge and claimed that Hamka had died from a drug overdose. He even tried to plead guilty to the lesser charge of negligent manslaughter, but the prosecutors rejected the offer. As a result, a murder trial was conducted, and after hearing three weeks of evidence, a jury found him guilty.
In his closing statement, Loughnane's lawyer, Daniel Sala, acknowledged that his client had acted reprehensibly towards Hamka in the months leading up to her death. He also admitted that Loughnane had disposed of her body in a remote location and did not inform the authorities until years later. However, Sala argued that Loughnane's only mistake was not calling an ambulance on the day of her death due to his heavy drug use. He claimed that Loughnane was trying to distance himself from the situation, and his intentions were not malicious.
On the other hand, prosecutor Kristie Churchill argued that Loughnane had a deep hatred for Hamka and had been controlling, abusive, and violent towards her before her death. She dismissed the possibility of Hamka dying from a drug overdose and instead stated that Loughnane had assaulted her with the intent to kill. After deliberating for less than two days, the jury reached a guilty verdict on Friday.
Loughnane will now face a pre-sentence hearing at a later date. In the meantime, support is available for those who have experienced sexual assault, domestic or family violence through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT. It's a devastating and tragic case, and our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Maryam Hamka.
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