A man who mercilessly attacked his partner with a knife and makeshift "blowtorch" has complained about being "a bit of a laughing stock at the moment with the sentence that I got".
Daryl Allan Robertson represented himself on Tuesday, when he briefly faced the ACT Court of Appeal and asked for his 27-year jail sentence to be reduced.
"There's, um, murderers in [Canberra's jail] at the moment who got a lesser sentence than myself," the 54-year-old said after filing no written submissions and while holding no prepared documents.
In court, Robertson's apparent nonchalance about his crimes and the proceedings matched his attitude when police officers arrived at the victim's home in September 2022 and were confronted by unimaginable horror.
What the full bench of judges didn't hear was that Bonnie Lee Anderson died in hospital earlier this year from the injuries she sustained during the attack.
That is, 16 months after Robertson stabbed her 11 times with a carving knife and relentlessly burned her with a blowtorch - at times in view of terrified neighbours.
A prosecutor previously described the protracted and unprovoked attack as "sustained and torturous", "callous and vicious".
"I find it a bit harsh myself, your honour. That's all," Robertson said on Tuesday of his sentence after having previously admitted to attempted murder.
The family violence abuser also said his father was "getting on a bit" and he wanted to get out of jail before the man died.
"A bit of a reducement (sic) would be really helpful. That's all at the moment," he said.
Robertson, who is serving a 20-year non-parole period, was previously represented by Legal Aid. The court did not hear why he was representing himself in the appeal proceedings.
It's understood his 27-year head sentence could be the longest ever handed down for the crime of attempted murder in the ACT. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
"But for the fact that the offender has pleaded guilty to the offence, I would have imposed the maximum penalty," Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said in December last year.
"I am satisfied that the offence plainly falls within the worst category of offending of this kind."
Robertson's grounds for appeal are that he did not receive an appropriate discount for his guilty pleas and his sentence and non-parole period were manifestly excessive.
Prosecutor Katie McCann argued the sentence was appropriate and reflected the severity of Robertson's crimes.
Acting Chief Justice David Mossop, Justice Verity McWilliam and Justice Belinda Baker reserved their decision until a later date.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; MensLine 1300 789 978; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732; ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service 6280 0900.
