Last
year on this day (12 December 2011), a 16-year-old Australian girl, Jessie Cate
was murdered by her sister’s boyfriend, Kyle Garth at Mandurah, Western
Australia. As there is no death penalty in Australia, I can only hope that Kyle
will never have a day of rest in prison, as he murdered a child. If you are
living in Australia, do donate money to her family, here is the info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rest-In-Paradise-Jessie-Cate/194082757350007
At the same time, let us not forget other
murdered children from other countries too: Samantha Runion, Jamie Bulger and Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed, The Petit girls, The Soham girls, Krista Denae Babb, Sally Anne Bowman, Polly Klaas and Kellie O’Laughlin.
Greek Philosopher, Plato once said:
“Longer life is no boon to the sinner himself in such a case, and that his decease will bring a double blessing to his neighbors; it will be a lesson to them to keep themselves from wrong, and will rid society of an evil man. These are the reasons for which a legislator is bound to ordain the chastisement of death for such desperate villainies, and for them alone”
Here
are several news on about Jessie Cate and her family:
 |
|
ONE YEAR AGO: Friends and family will gather today
to mark the year since Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate, 15, was murdered. Source:
PerthNow
|
Family of Jessie Cate
'shattered' over death
Date
Aja Styles and Lucy
Rickard
The uncle
of dead Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate says the family is
"shattered" at the loss of their little girl.
Police
have charged a 19-year-old man with Jessie's murder after her body was
recovered from a shallow grave in Bouvard bushland, only kilometres away from
her home, on Tuesday night.
The
15-year-old schoolgirl left her casual job as a cashier at Woolworths at the
Miami Shopping Centre about 6.30pm on Monday but failed to return home.
Her
mother, Judy Cate, raised the alarm with police after she was contacted about
Jessie getting a lift to a nearby oval to meet friends.
Ms Cate
said she doubted her daughter would have gone out in the rain and made an
emotional plea on Tuesday for her daughter to come home.
But major
crime detectives delivered the news yesterday that Jessie's body had been found
and a man charged with murder.
Kyle
Rohan Garth, 19, briefly faced Mandurah Magistrate's Court over Jessie's
murder, dressed in blue prison overalls but did not say anything.
Mr Garth
was an ex-boyfriend of Jessie's older sister and had worked at Woolworths with
the teenager. The family have refused to comment about Mr Garth.
Jessie's
uncle Ric Troode said the family will now wait to recover the body before
making funeral arrangements.
"Once
we get our little girl back we will make a full statement and thank all the
people we need to thank," he told television reporters.
"The
news has been absolutely shattering... the whole family's feeling the
pain."
Gemma
Fox, a friend of Jessie, told Channel Ten it had been "the most
devastating thing we've heard in our life" and many of them had
"cried for hours and hours".
Four
friends attended Mandurah Magistrates Court yesterday to see for themselves the
man who has been charged with killing their young friend.
Mr Garth
listened to the charge of murdering Jessie Cate being read out in court but was
not required to enter a plea.
He was
led away to be held in custody until his next court date at Stirling Gardens
Magistrate's Court on December 21.
Friends
remember Jessie online
In
addition to Facebook tributes to Jessie, friends have now also posted a You
Tube clip of photos of the 15-year-old.
She
texted 'I love you too'
Just
minutes before she went missing, Jessie sent a loving message to her boyfriend
Harley Murphy, 17.
"She
has actually been at her happiest because she had a new boyfriend for the last
two months and she spends half the time with him and his family, and the other
half of the time with us," Mrs Cate said.
"As
soon as she finished work at 6.30, when [her boyfriend] knew that she was going
to be finishing he sent her a text message saying 'I love you', she texted back
'I love you too' and then he texted her a smiley face.
"He
expected [a] return [text] because Jessie would return any message she gets ...
and he did not hear from her after that and that was around 6.35."
Rob Webb,
22, a friend of Jessie and her boyfriend, said Harley went looking for Jessie
the night of her disappearance.
He said
even though Harley did not have a driver's licence, he spent hours looking for
her.
He said
the couple were inseparable, and that they were "just always together...
you wouldn't see them apart".
Harley
posted on a Facebook tribute page: "Rest in peace my baby, you will always
be in my heart."
Mr Webb
said he and three other friends of the young couple went to court yesterday on
behalf of Harley, who he said was going ''berserk'' at the news that his
girlfriend was dead.
A friend
within Harley's circle of mates also confirmed that Mr Garth was a former
boyfriend of Jessie's sister and was known to the teenager.
Investigation
continues
Forensic
and major crime officers have cordoned off a large area of bushland in Bouvard,
near Mandurah. It is expected to remain cordoned off for some time while
investigations continue.
A red
Nissan Bluebird, with a P-plate visible on the windscreen, has been towed away
from the scene by forensic police, according to 6PR radio.
Jessie
allegedly got a lift in the red car, driven by Mr Garth, to avoid waiting for
her usual 594 bus in the stormy weather.
Police
escalated the search for Jessie on Tuesday much more quickly than usual missing
persons reports as her behaviour and lack of contact were so out of character.
"I
called the police just after half past eight, quarter to nine, when she didn't
come home on the last bus," Mrs Cate said.
"...
I knew she's gone somewhere else ... she would not do that.
"I
was told she was dropped at a nearby oval to meet friends and I know that can't
be true because she would have told me about that change of plans and she
wouldn't have been dropped off in that kind of weather.
"I
know my Jessie ... she would have just preferred to come home.
"She
doesn’t like to be in any kind of weather you know; her hair was very important
to her, she didn't like it going curly."
Mr Garth
was taken into custody at 7.45pm on Tuesday, and was charged with murder after
eight hours of questioning.
Mr Webb,
22, was at court for Mr Garth's appearance and said that they were in shock,
and struggling to cope with the news of Jessie's death.
Mr Webb
said it was "pretty devastating, it seems the world's gone down the
drain".
"I
have only met her a few times but she was always polite, always happy and
really respectful," he said.
Tributes
flow
Friends
have set up a Facebook
page paying tribute to the teenager, with condolences flowing in for
her family.
One
friend wrote: "rest in peace jesse baby you were one of a kind and none of
us will be the same without you, you brought laughter and happiness to
everyones lifes (sic) this isnt fair and shouldnt of happend to you. Your (sic)
in a safer pleace now babygirl love you xo miss you already."
Jessie’s
employer Woolworths also issued a statement, offering condolences to her
family, friends and work colleagues.
Woolworths
WA regional manager Brad Bolin said the company had made arrangements for staff
at the Miami store to be offered counselling.
"Jessie
had been working at the Miami store as a service cashier for just six weeks but
she had made a lasting impression as a promising young woman," the
statement read.
"She
will be greatly missed by her colleagues.
"Woolworths
is helping the Western Australia Police with their enquiries.
"On
behalf of Woolworths staff around the country, I extend my condolences to
Jessie's family, friends and loved ones."
Friends
gathered at the Miami Plaza Shopping Centre to set up a Cate family fund and to
mourn the loss of Jessie.
Close
friends Clare Myhill and Kieana Copeland said she was a beautiful, fun and
friend-orientated person.
"I
found out what had happened from Facebook and have been watching the news and
listening to the radio all day to see if it was true," Clare said.
"It’s
just upsetting to think something like this has happened to her."
A desk
was set up in front of the Woolworths store for mourners to place flowers in
respect of the young girl and a tin was placed at the reception for donations
to the family.
"She
loved kids and animals like rabbits and other cuddly animals, she was kind and
very loving," Clare said.
To donate
to the Cate family fund BSB 066-200 Account number 1004 9163.
- with
Josh Halliday, Mandurah Mail.
Life sentence for Jessie Cate killer
KATE
CAMPBELL, The West Australian
September 5, 2012, 11:56 am
UPDATE 1:50pm: A 20-year-old man will spend at least 18 years
behind bars for the "ferocious" and "unprovoked" murder of
Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate.
Kyle Rohan Garth, of Pinjarra,
was sentenced to a life jail term in the Supreme Court today, with a non-parole
period of 18 years. This means Garth will still be aged in his 30s when he
becomes eligible for release.
Details of how and why Garth
murdered his ex-girlfriend's 15-year-old sister were revealed in court for the
first time today, including how Garth strangled Jessie twice in his car - the
second time with an intention to kill her to avoid being caught.
He told police he and Jessie were
fighting in his car, after he picked her up from her part-time job at
Woolworths in Falcon on December 12 last year, when within minutes he pulled
the car over, lost his temper and lashed out.
Justice Jenkins said Garth had no
real motive and this murder had not only devastated Jessie's family, but had
also disturbed and impacted the wider community.
She told Garth he abused the
trust Jessie and her family had in him in a "gross and awful way".
The judge described the attacks
on Jessie as "ferocious", "unprovoked" and selfish.
Wearing prison greens, Garth
spent his time in the dock mainly hunched over with his head bowed as Jessie's
family saw him in person for the first time since he killed the high school
student.
After strangling her, Garth, who
had previously dated Jessie's older sister Emma for a couple of months, buried
Jessie in a shallow grave in Bouvard.
In sentencing submissions today,
prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo said Garth, a window tinter who used to work with
the victim at Woolworths, offered to pick Jessie up from work telling her he
had something to tell her alone. Those who overheard their conversation said
the pair were smiling and it appeared their exchange was friendly.
Garth misled police for more than
seven hours the next day when he concocted a story that he had dropped Jessie
off at an oval to see friends.
Many inconsistencies were found
in his story and Garth eventually confessed to murdering Jessie, saying they
were arguing about his break-up with Emma, his current relationship and the
fact he was no longer around as a male role model for Jessie's younger siblings
when he pulled his car over and lost his temper. "I ended up suffocating
her, I choked her with my hands, I don't know what came over me," he said.
When asked what was going through
his mind when he was choking Jessie, Garth told detectives: "That's what
disturbed me most - I was sorry and angry and that I love my partner, as that's
all that was going through my head."
As he was blocking the road,
another driver pulled up, prompting Garth to get out and speak to the other
driver before driving off.
The court was told Garth then
heard Jessie murmur and mumble and realised she was still alive.
Garth choked her with one hand
whilst still driving - a position he held for more than 10km until he reached
the site where he would bury her body.
Garth hid Jessie's body under logs
and branches, returned home to Pinjarra to get a shovel and then went back to
bury the teenager's body.
He told detectives he strangled
her the second time out of fear of getting caught and when asked what his
intention was at that time he replied: "kill her and I did".
The court was told Garth had
spent a lot of time with Jessie's family while he was dating Emma and still
remained on friendly terms with them after the break-up.
Jessie's family were in court
today and saw Garth in person for the first time since he killed Jessie.
Ms Barbagallo said the impact of
this senseless loss of life on Jessie's family and the wider Mandurah community
was immeasurable.
Garth had no criminal record and
no mention was made during sentencing submissions today of any major mental
illness.
Defence lawyer Brian Mahon said
his client wanted to apologise to everyone affected by his crime and he was
fully aware that he shattered many lives that night.
He said his client bitterly
regretted his actions and accepted he had a price to pay for ending Jessie's
life. Mr Mahon said Garth conceded that during the second choking episode he
intended to kill Jessie, but that the first attack was spontaneous with no
planning.
"He's aware what he faces
will only be a fraction of the suffering (that the Cate family will have to
endure)," he said.
The murder of the popular
teenager prompted a tidal wave of grief in the Mandurah community, but Mr Mahon
said before this tragedy his client was also well-liked and respected in the
community.
Garth had scratches on his face from Jessie during
the first attack, but Ms Barbagallo said when Garth strangled her the second
time "he effectively killed a girl who couldn't defend herself".
She said Garth had time to reevaluate
his actions and choose a different path, but did not.
She said when Garth called
Jessie's mother the morning after the murder, pretending not to know what had
happened, it showed "callousness and coldness". Ms Barbagallo said
Garth had also committed a breach of trust because Jessie and her family had no
reason to think her life would be in danger in his company.
Justice Jenkins said while there
was no pre-planning or weapon involved in this murder, it also involved a
"terribly violent death" of a young person.
She said Garth still had the
support of his mother, stepfather and his partner, who is 16 years his senior
and who was his girlfriend at the time he murdered Jessie.
Outside court, Jessie's family
welcomed the sentence, which was higher than they hoped, but showed Garth some
compassion.
"It's more years that he's
going to spend in prison than our gorgeous Jessie spent alive," Jessie's
uncle Ric Troode said.
"Nothing is going to bring
Jessie back, her memory will outlive Kyle's name forever and a day, she's
never, ever going to be forgotten.
"I'm not going to be angry
and say I hope he rots in hell ... I feel for him, he is a young man, we hope
that he comes out of this a better person. They said that he had an unblemished
character, that he was of good standing, but people of unblemished characters
and good standing don't murder 15-year-olds ... there's no excuse."
Mr Troode said Garth's apology in
court today provided them no solace.
Jessie's mother Judy Cate said
outside court she and her family would never recover from her daughter's
violent murder, saying they had lost the best thing they ever had.
"It happened so quickly, she
didn't have a chance to defend herself or have a chance to get away, he took
the intention to kill her without any thought towards Jessie herself and us as
a family," she said.
"If he was remorseful, he
should have let her live the first time."
Ms Cate said her daughter was
"perfect" and "everything a parent could hope for in a
child".
Pledge to tackle school violence in wake of teen's murder
- by: Phil Hickey
- From: The Sunday Times
- December 01, 2012
 |
| Judy Cate, mother of murdered teenager Jessie, pictured with Jessie's sister Emma, 18, and her 11-week-old son Chase. Picture: Theo Fakos |
THE
mother of murdered Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate wants schools to do more to
teach kids about violence and has revealed how she tried to connect with the
mother of her daughter's killer three weeks after the death.
In a
wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times on the eve of the first
anniversary of her daughter's murder, Judy Cate said she wanted WA school
students to sign a pledge every year on March 6, Jessie's birthday, saying no
to violence.
Several
schools in Mandurah have embraced the program, known as the Purple Ribbon
Pledge, and Mrs Cate said she would urge the Education Department to make it
statewide.
The mum
of four recently visited a Mandurah school plagued with violence to speak to
students.
"That's
my next plan, to get that program implemented in more schools," Mrs Cate
said. "We need to start teaching kids as young as possible to say no to
violence."
Jessie
was 15 when she was picked up outside her work in Falcon on the night of
December 12 last year, strangled and buried in a bush grave.
Mrs Cate,
44, said she feared her daughter's killer, Kyle Rohan Garth, from Pinjarra, who
previously dated Jessie's sister, Emma, and is serving a minimum 18-year jail
term, could kill again if released.
"I
have a feeling because he has got a taste for it now, he may do it again.
That's, my fear," she said.
Mrs Cate
said she phoned Garth's mother three weeks after he was charged with the
murder.
"I
just wanted to see how she was going, from one mum to another. I tried to
connect with her," she said. "I knew she was affected. I can imagine
the hurt that was going through her and she was suffering when I spoke to her.
She could not stop crying.
"It
was difficult. It was still very raw for her."
Mrs Cate
has survived a harrowing 12 months.
After
losing Jessie, her ex-husband died after an alleged fight at a caravan park and
several months ago she lost a brother to cancer.
Mrs Cate
said she welcomed the opportunity to meet Garth one day and ask him why he
killed her daughter.
"But
I'd only be prepared to do it if I knew, 100 per cent, he would tell me the
truth," she said. "I want to know the truth. I really want to know
what happened that night.
"I
can't understand why he took her."
Mrs Cate
said she wanted people to remember Jessie for her loving personality and not
for the way she died.
"I
want her to be remembered for who she was and for what she believed in. She
liked loving people. She accepted people from all walks of life," she
said.
"It's
still very surreal. Each day I wake up and I can't believe she is gone. Every
day I shed a tear for her because I don't ever stop missing her."
On
December 12, Mrs Cate will hold a barbecue and a minute's silence at Henry
Sutton Grove in Halls Head to mark the anniversary of Jessie's death.
Members
of the public are welcome to attend from 4pm and are encouraged to bring purple
balloons, as purple was Jessie's favourite colour.
Friends, family mark one year since teenager Jessie Cate's murder
- Phil Hickey
- PerthNow
- December 12, 2012
HUNDREDS of friends and supporters are expected to pay their respects to
Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate, who was murdered one year ago today.
Jessie, 15, was murdered on the night of December
12 last year after accepting a lift home from work from her sister’s ex
boyfriend, Kyle Rohan Garth.
She was strangled and buried in a bush grave south of Mandurah.
Later today, Jessie’s mum Judy Cate will hold a barbecue and a minute’s silence for her daughter at Henry Sutton Grove in Halls Head to mark the one year anniversary of her daughter’s death.
Friends of Jessie’s and members of the public are welcome to attend from 4pm onwards and are encouraged to wear purple and bring purple balloons.
In sentencing Garth to a minimum 18-year jail term for the murder Justice Lindy Jenkins said: “You (Garth) had given her every reason to believe that you were a trustworthy person whom she could rely upon to take her safely from her work to her home.”
“You abused the trust that she placed in you in a gross and awful way.
“This is an offence which the community cannot understand or rationalise so it has greatly disturbed the local community, if not the wider Perth and Western Australian community.”
Jessie Cate remembered as a 'beautiful girl'
By Megan Kelly
A YEAR
has passed since 15-year-old Jessie Cate was murdered by her sister’s
ex-boyfriend on the night of December 12.
But her
mother Judy Cate said she didn’t want her daughter to be remembered as the girl
who tragically died.
“I want
her to be remembered for the beautiful person she was,” Mrs Cate said.
“I learn
more and more about her each day from other people.
“I’m
astounded by the impact she had on others.”
This
afternoon family, friends and members of the community joined together at
Henry Sutton Grove in Halls Head to mark the one-year anniversary of Jessie’s
death.
A
barbecue started at 4pm – the last time Mrs Cate saw Jessie – and a minute’s
silence was held before the releasing of purple balloons.
Mrs Cate
said it had been an extraordinary year tinged with sadness.
“I have
mixed emotions,” she said.
“A lot of
good things have come; I’ve made new friends and had great support from the
community.
“But it’s
been bittersweet.
“Every
new celebration or memory we make Jessie won’t be around for and she should be
a part of it all.”
She said
she was pleased with the outcome of sentencing for killer Kyle Rohan Garth but
said there would never be closure after her “senseless” death.
“It’s a
daily struggle,” she said.
“We take
each day as it comes.
“She had
so much going for her and the community missed out on a beautiful member.
“I just
want her to be remembered for the good things she did and the impact she had on
other people.”
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