A man who helped organise an aggravated burglary that led to the death of a Deer Park man on Australia Day, 2014, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
In sentencing Jamie Fisher at the Supreme Court last month, Judge Jane Hollingworth said a strong message of deterrence had to be delivered.
“I accept that you have very good prospects of rehabilitation,” Ms Hollingworth said. “Although there may not be a great need for specific deterrence, principles of general deterrence, denunciation and just punishment still have a very important role to play in sentencing you.”
Fisher, 26, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and five assault charges arising from the Australia Day incident.
He was acquitted of a charge of manslaughter in February this year over the same incident.
The court heard Fisher was one of two men who organised a break-in by himself and 12 others at a Billingham Road property where an Australia Day barbecue was being held.
Fisher had cut short a fishing trip with his friend, Adam Power, after hearing that Power’s cousin had been hospitalised after an altercation on January 25 with a resident from the Billingham Road address.
The court heard Fisher and Power spent the drive home arranging for friends to meet them at Billingham Road for a ‘run through’ at 10pm on January 26.
Most of the group were carrying weapons, including axes, machetes, baseball bats, knives and chains. Fisher carried a wooden bat.
The court was told a woman who was on the front porch of the house was bashed, while one of the group smashed through the front door with an axe. Once inside, the group went on a “terrifying rampage”.
Three men inside escaped out windows, but a fourth man, Michael Sleiman, was attacked in a rear bedroom. He suffered multiple blows from various weapons.
Power was sentenced to more than 15 years’ prison in September 2016 for the manslaughter of Mr Sleiman.
Fisher must serve four years and three months jail before being eligible for parole.
