Housemate gets 33 years for 'relentless and entirely merciless' murder
A relentless, demonic and deluded rapist who beat his housemate to death in the grip of bizarre conspiracy theories about poisoning, child abuse and human trafficking has been jailed for 33 years.
Daniel Hounslow, 42, admitted murdering Micah Kalawek by repeatedly bashing him in the back garden of their shared home in Wyndham Vale after trying to strangle the 49-year-old with a dressing gown cord.
Police in Wyndham Vale last year after Mr Kalawek was found dead in his backyard. Credit:James Hancock/ABC
With eight prior rape convictions and a string of other violent offences to his name, Hounslow moved into the Wyndham Vale house where Mr Kalawek was living three months after being released from prison.
Hounslow, who believed his brother had sexually assaulted him as a young child and that Mr Kalawek was that brother, was sentenced in the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Justice Andrew Tinney said Hounslow’s offending was “in every sense wrong” and that protection of the community loomed large in handing down a lengthier sentence.
“You were clearly a very dangerous person at the time of your offending in 1999, your current crime makes it perfectly plain that you are still very dangerous and that you are likely to remain so for a long time to come,” Justice Tinney said.
“You made him suffer. You were relentless and entirely merciless in your violence.”
“When you had achieved your aim, your response was to drag him behind the bungalow, cover him in branches and go about your business.”
"You decided from the moment that you came into contact with him that you would like to hurt him, and you proceeded to do exactly that."
Julie Kalawek, who married the victim in 2001 and who was sat two rows in front of the man that murdered him, wept as Justice Tinney described how Hounslow had taken two hours to kick and beat Mr Kalawek to death on March 24, 2019.
You made him suffer. You were relentless and entirely merciless in your violence.
Justice Andrew Tinney
In a witness impact statement read in court when Hounslow pleaded guilty earlier this month, Ms Kalawek told him: “I would have nightmares of how you violently bashed and bashed my defenceless husband to death.”
"Not only did you kill my husband but you killed me emotionally."
Hounslow had falsely accused Mr Kalawek of poisoning him, sexually abusing him, putting child pornography onto his phone and being involved in human trafficking.
He had tested positive for ice and amphetamines at the time of the killing, and had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.17 after his arrest.
Appearing in a green T-shirt with his shoulders slumped, Hounslow listened passively as his long history of offending was canvassed in court, including a rape that Justice Tinney said appeared to be planned and taken out and for which he was previously jailed.
Hounslow will be eligible for parole in 26 years.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or beyondblue 1300 224 636
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