Convicted killer, 44, who battered a woman to death with a 40kg concrete owl and stuffed her body in a wheelie bin is jailed for 18 years
- Travis Kirchner used 40kg concrete owl or pedestal to bash Sally Rothe
- He fled to Victoria, where he was arrested after an extensive manhunt
- The 44-year-old was jailed for life with a non-parole period of 18 years
- Ms Rothe's family remembered the mother-of-three as a 'beautiful soul'
A South Australian man who bashed a woman to death at her home and stuffed her body into a wheelie bin before fleeing to Victoria has been jailed for at least 18 years.
Travis Kirchner used a 40kg concrete owl or pedestal to bash 54-year-old Sally Rothe to death at her Murray Bridge property, east of Adelaide, in February last year.
In the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Justice David Peek said the 44-year-old had responded to a minor incident in an 'explosive and violent manner' as he jailed Kirchner for life and set a non-parole period of 18 years.
Travis Kirchner, 44, (pictured) was jailed for at least 18 years after he used a 40kg concrete owl or pedestal to bash 54-year-old Sally Rothe to death at her Murray Bridge property, east of Adelaide, in February last year
In the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Justice David Peek said the 44-year-old had responded to a minor incident in an 'explosive and violent manner' as he jailed Kirchner for life and set a non-parole period of 18 years. Pictured: Sally Rothe
The court had previously been told the horrific attack was in response to Ms Rothe tapping Kirchner on the head with a photo frame, according to The Advertiser.
Justice Peek said the killing was not premeditated but the blows to Ms Rothe's head were delivered with a degree of force.
'The post-mortem evidence indicates that there were repeated blows to the deceased's head with considerable or severe force,' he said.
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'All of the evidence indicates that blows occurred at several difference locations in the yard and that the attack continued over an appreciable period of time.'
Justice Peek said in imposing the non-parole-period, he also took into account that Kirchner had shown little or no contrition and after the killing had immediately fled to Victoria, where he was arrested after an extensive manhunt.
The court had heard previously how Kirchner had drunk two-thirds of 'home brewed' alcohol and was suffering from amphetamine withdrawal when he struck Ms Rothe.
Justice Peek said in imposing the non-parole-period, he also took into account that Kirchner had shown little or no contrition and after the killing had immediately fled to Victoria, where he was arrested after an extensive manhunt
In victim impact statements read to the court in October last year, Ms Rothe's family remembered the mother-of-three as a 'beautiful soul' who fell victim to a heinous crime.
'Travis Kirchner's extremely violent actions have had a devastating effect on myself and my family,' her sister Christine McMurdo said.
'Why would a man my sister hardly knew want to murder her?
Kirchner had previously told the court he had drunk two-thirds of 'home brewed' alcohol and was suffering from amphetamine withdrawal when he struck Ms Rothe
'I believe society has no place for him apart from jail.'
Kirchner had only known Ms Rothe for a few weeks and as she was was helping him out by allowing him to store personal items at her house.
The convicted killer had pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Rothe, on February 4 after an extensive five-day manhunt found him in Doveton, south east Melbourne with two other individuals.
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