Bus station killer jailed for 10 years

From The West

Convicted killer Patrick McMahon has been jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years for the murder of a complete stranger at Perth’s Wellington Street bus station two years ago.

McMahon, 24, was originally charged with wilful murder but was convicted last month by a Supreme Court jury of the lesser crime of murder.

The jury rejected his defence that he was insane at the time.

McMahon, homeless and suffering a mental illness was asking people for a cigarette as he wandered through the bus station on the night of December 27, 2007.

Suddenly he lunged at Japanese chef Junichi Uchiyama stabbing him twice in the neck.

In court today Justice Nicholas Hasluck described it as a brutal and unforgivable attack on an innocent bystander without any provocation or warning.

The judge added that while McMahon’s judgement may have been clouded he still had the mental capacity to know what he was doing.

The 12 year minimum was back dated to McMahon’s arrest in 2007 which means he could be freed in 10 years.

Rape-murder monster Brendan Dennison found guilty

For the story of this crime click here.

Last week, Dennison pleaded guilty to 19 charges of holding the couple and two girls in their unit.  In addition to pleading guilty to the young woman's murder and recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm to her boyfriend, Dennison admitted 10 counts of raping the couple and four counts of detaining them and the other women for his own sexual gratification.  He also entered guilty pleas to robbing the other women of a total of $170 and threatening them with rape while he brandished a large kitchen knife.

He will be sentenced in March 2010.