A convicted killer has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years' jail over a death threat poem he sent to his former partner from jail.
Justin Fuller admitted to sending the threatening poem in May 2021 after learning his former partner had taken up with another man who was his friend.
Newcastle District Court Judge Penelope Hock did not hold back when she described the seriousness of the poem.
"It included, 'Could I make killing you a form of art? Will the next time you looking at me in the eyes be your time to die'," Judge Hock said.
The judge said there was more disturbing content.
"The terms are extremely violent, menacing and explicit, the words were calculated to instil fear in the victim, and understandably, they succeeded," the judge said.
Judge Hock did not accept the threats were veiled.
"The offender took the time to think about these words and cause the victim immediate terror and to feel insecure in the future," she said.
Fuller is already behind bars for manslaughter after an incident at Belmont South in Lake Macquarie, south of Newcastle, in 2018.
The Supreme Court heard he had used two machetes to stab his half-sister's partner to death.
For that crime, he was sentenced to nine years' jail, with six years and three months non-parole.
In sentencing Fuller over the poem, Judge Hock noted the maximum penalty for the offence was 10 years in prison.
The judge said because the offence was committed within a domestic relationship, it was more serious.
Judge Hock said she would impose a sentence that was partly concurrent with his existing sentence and partly consecutive.
She said Fuller would get a 25 per cent discount for pleading guilty before imposing a sentence of four years and six months' jail, with two years and 10 months non-parole.
Due to time already served, Fuller will be eligible for parole in June 2026.
