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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Farmstay Guest Maintains Denial and Shows No Remorse Over Woman’s Manslaughter

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Timothy Loosemore was convicted of manslaughter but acquitted of murder over the 2023 death of Maree Vermont in central Victoria.
  • Prosecutors said the case remained serious despite uncertainty over how Vermont died, while the defence said Loosemore consistently claimed to have no memory of the incident.
  • Vermont’s sons told the court that the unresolved circumstances of her death continued to cause distress as Loosemore awaited sentencing.

Timothy Loosemore says he cannot remember what happened on the night Maree Vermont died. A Victorian court heard that the 63-year-old has maintained that position and shown no remorse before sentencing.

Because he has never told the truth about what occurred, the mechanism of death will remain unclear to anyone other than Mr Loosemore

· Justice Michael TinneyThe judge explained why the unresolved cause of death did not lessen the seriousness of the manslaughter.

A Supreme Court jury found Loosemore guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder over Vermont’s death at her home in Goldie, central Victoria, in 2023. After killing her, he set fire to the stone house she had built with her family, and her badly burned remains were found in the ashes.

Justice Michael Tinney said the court could not determine how Vermont was killed, but that uncertainty did not prevent the manslaughter from being treated as serious or very serious at sentencing. “Because he has never told the truth about what occurred, the mechanism of death will remain unclear to anyone other than Mr Loosemore,” the judge said.

no memory of what took place

· Christopher FarringtonThe defence barrister described Loosemore’s consistent account of the incident.

The court heard that Vermont’s blood was found on Loosemore’s clothing, along with his own blood, and that he had facial injuries consistent with a physical struggle. Defence barrister Christopher Farrington said Loosemore had consistently reported having “no memory of what took place” and therefore struggled to accept responsibility. But Tinney rejected that account, pointing to police body-camera footage recorded in hospital hours after the fire. The judge said Loosemore had not asked whether Vermont had been found or was safe, focusing instead on himself, his bicycle and his possessions.

At no time did he ask, 'have you found her, is she safe', the only concern was for himself, his bicycle and other possessions

· Justice Michael TinneyThe judge cited Loosemore’s police interview after the fire when rejecting his claim of memory loss.

Prosecutor Mark Gibson submitted 20 victim-impact statements, including statements from Vermont’s three sons. Harrison Vermont said uncertainty over how his mother died kept different scenarios playing repeatedly in his mind. He said he and his brothers had moved back to the family farm, where the burned shell of the house remained a constant reminder. Loosemore is expected to be sentenced next week.

The loss of her life through a violent and deliberate event is something I can't come to terms with

· Harrison VermontVermont’s son described the continuing impact of his mother’s death.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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