Heartless man jailed for killing woman who rejected him

Timothy Loosemore has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for fatally assaulting Maree Vermont, a 60-year-old mother of three, after she rejected his romantic advances. The 63-year-old defendant showed no remorse, claiming to the jury that he did not harm Ms Vermont or set her home ablaze. However, a jury convicted him of manslaughter in June, believing he had killed her on August 5, 2023, and then intentionally set fire to the home she had spent decades building.

Justice Andrew Tinney of the Victorian Supreme Court emphasized Loosemore's disregard for Vermont's life, stating that her kindness was repaid with his violent and cold-blooded actions. The judge accepted Loosemore's lack of prior convictions and reasonable prospects for rehabilitation, but stressed that male violence was a societal issue and that Vermont was a vibrant and much-loved woman who met a tragic fate due to Loosemore's actions.

Vermont's son Darcy expressed relief that the court process was concluded, acknowledging that the sentence did not fully compensate for the loss they had suffered.