THE DAUGHTERS of Stockton grandmother Stacey Klimovitch have come face to face with the men at the centre of her brutal murder and fought back sobs in court as they told of their eternal heartbreak and trauma.
The public gallery of the NSW Supreme Court in Newcastle was packed on Tuesday as the sentencing proceedings of Jason Paul Hawkins and Stephen John Garland began.
Hawkins, 48, was found guilty at the end of a weeks-long trial last year of the shooting murder of Mrs Klimovitch in the doorway of her Queen Street home at Stockton about 8pm on June 9, 2021.
Garland was found guilty of manslaughter, a jury finding he knew something criminal was going to happen when he travelled to Stockton, near Newcastle, that life-altering night.
Mrs Klimovitch's daughter Alexandra gave a powerful tribute to her mother as she stared her killer down in court.
"There is no replacement for what you've taken," she told Hawkins during her victim impact statement.
"You murdered my mum. You denied it.
"You told an unbelievable story ... and acted with zero regard for human life."
Hawkins repeatedly denied being the shooter or having any knowledge of the plot, said he had been "stitched up", and that he vomited and wept for Mrs Klimovitch's family when he heard the allegations against him.
But, the jury found that Hawkins was the hitman that called out "Stacey" and seconds later shot her at close range as she stood in her doorway.
Mrs Klimovitch's infant grandchild was home at the time.
"It could have been anyone of my family to answer that door," her daughter said.
Madeline Klimovitch said the sentence Hawkins and Garland were handed in court this week would never be enough justice for taking her mother's life.
"You have deprived my mother of being the most wonderful nanna anyone could ever want," she said through tears.
Mrs Klimovitch taught countless children across Newcastle the lifesaving skill of swimming, and daughter Stephanie Klimovitch said she had followed in her mother's footsteps.
"She loved to be outside, she loved the water, she taught many kids to swim," she told the court.
She said Mrs Klimovitch had the best laugh anyone had ever heard, was a force to be reckoned with and loved to watch Neighbours, share a box of Roses, or have a milkshake at the beach.
"But most of all, she loved us," she said.
Mrs Klimovitch's sister, speaking on behalf of their mother and siblings, said her entire family was a victim of the "nonsensical murder of an innocent woman in her own home".
Justice Peter Hamill is due to sentence both Hawkins and Garland later this week.
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield told the court on Tuesday he was pushing for Hawkins - the shooter - to be sentenced to life in jail.
"The execution shooting of a grandmother in her own home, at night, for no apparent reason, by a person that's been recruited or engaged to do that ... is just incomprehensible," he said.
"It is a contract killing or an execution - we don't know the precise motivation."
Mrs Klimovitch had been the victim of a targeted and pre-meditated murder masterminded by her former son-in-law Stuart Campbell over an ugly dispute between the pair.
Campbell had the motive and orchestrated the hit on Mrs Klimovitch, recruiting Hawkins and Garland into his tangled web.
Campbell was charged with murder but died in jail before facing trial.
Mr Hatfield said Hawkins had reached an agreement with Campbell at some point to carry out what he wanted.
He said it was shocking and senseless that Hawkins would commit such a brazen crime "apparently, for nothing, or next to nothing".
He said the only evidence of any sort of payment was $400-odd for vehicle registration.
He argued that even if Hawkins had suddenly agreed on the day of the assassination to fire the deadly bullet, instead of earlier, that would almost be worse because it would have meant it didn't "take much persuading" for him to commit such a shocking crime.
Hawkins' defence lawyer Ben Bickford submitted evidence about Hawkins' disadvantaged and dysfunctional background.
Garland will face a sentence hearing tomorrow.
