TASMANIA — The family of Jacqui Purton, a 37-year-old mother of four who was struck and left to die by her partner, is demanding tougher domestic violence laws following the man’s sentencing.
James Kenneth Austin, 40, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. He will be eligible for parole in eight years. Originally charged with murder, Austin fatally hit Purton with a car on a rural property in March 2023 after an argument.
The Supreme Court of Tasmania heard that Purton was walking down a 500-metre gravel driveway when Austin followed in a white Holden Commodore, hitting her at 20–30 km/h and dragging her underneath. She suffered fatal injuries, including a broken pelvis.
Justice Michael Brett described Austin’s actions as “cold-blooded, callous and selfish.” He added that while Austin may not have intended to kill her, he deliberately used the car to frighten her and made no effort to brake.
After leaving her to die, Austin moved Purton’s body into the car and involved his father in misleading authorities. The court also heard that Austin had a history of threats, violence, and a prior attempt to run Purton down.
Purton had tried to call police before the incident but was unable to connect due to poor phone reception. A family violence order was in place against Austin at the time.
Outside court, Purton’s mother, Leanne Walford, and daughter, Shakira Robertson, pledged to fight for reforms. They called for harsher penalties, especially for the use of vehicles in domestic violence incidents.
“She was more than a case file. Laws must be tougher because our numbers are going to keep going up,” Walford said.
Justice Brett called the case a serious example of manslaughter, family violence, and violation of protective orders.
Help is available via 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Australia’s national service for sexual assault and domestic violence support.
