Qld: Two jailed for murder
By Paul Osborne
BRISBANE, Aug 23 AAP - Two university students were today sentenced to life imprisonmentfor the murder of a Brisbane receptionist - a crime the judge described as "an exampleof unmitigated evil".
A Supreme Court jury today found Brisbane university students Sven Huebner, 34, andAmy Louise Maher, 22, guilty of murdering 27-year-old Linda Roberts on August 18, 2001.
They both received mandatory life sentences.
Receiving the verdict after a 26-hour deliberation, Chief Justice Paul de Jersey toldthe court it was misleading to suggest Huebner's actions were simply bizarre.
"They were an example of unmitigated evil," Justice de Jersey said.
"I must take it that the jury has seen through your monumental deceit and tissue ofself-serving lies."
Justice de Jersey said a "vibrant young life" had been taken by Huebner.
"You are a miserable example of substantial intellect gone wrong," he said.
Maher had been a "stalwart follower of the dominant Huebner", Justice de Jersey said.
"You were driven by loyalty to your lover but your over-attachment was utterly misguided,"
Justice de Jersey said.
He paid tribute to police and key witness Melissa Gazsik.
Halfway through the 10-day trial, Huebner confessed to unintentionally killing Ms Robertsafter tying her up with bondage rope and hanging it off a curtain rod.
The crown refused to accept his plea to a charge of manslaughter over the incidentand proceeded with a trial on murder.
Maher had pleaded not guilty to both charges of murder and manslaughter.
Before Huebner's plea, she made formal admissions to being in Ms Roberts' car whenhe dumped it at Wishart shopping centre.
Huebner took the stand at the trial and told the jury he panicked when he discoveredMs Roberts limp and on her knees with no pulse and blood in her mouth.
He testified to packing her body in a large suitcase and taking it to bushland withMaher, where it was taken out of the bag and dumped.
Huebner said he then devised an elaborate cover-up because he didn't think they wouldbe believed.
The cover-up had included helping in the search for Ms Roberts' body with family, friendsand police, the jury was told.
Speaking outside the court, Ms Roberts' father Elwyn described the jailed pair as "evil,cunning, calculating liars".
"There will never be complete closure - we've lost someone so special," he said.
AAP pjo/was/jlw
KEYWORD: ROBERTS
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