Dad convicted of beating mom to death with hammer--with their two kids pleading with him to stop (Victoria, Australia)

Dad GRAME PENGALESE has been sentenced to 22 years in prison--for beating the mother of his two children to death. With a hammer, AND in front of the two kids, who were screaming at him to stop, but were pushed aside by their loving father. Notice that Daddy had a history of domestic violence, but that the mother had left him. Not that it did her much good, because he was still "visiting" the kids.

http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/man-jailed-for-wifes-brutal-hammer-murder-20110728-1i1jw.html

Man jailed for wife's brutal hammer murder

Whitney Harris
July 28, 2011 - 4:27PM

A man who killed his former partner by beating her with a hammer in front of her children has been jailed for 22 years.

Graeme Penglase was this morning sentenced to 22 years' jail, and must serve at least 18 of those behind bars.

Joanne Penglase, 39, was beaten to death with a hammer in front of her two young children in June last year.

Penglase, 47, pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Supreme Court last week to one count of murder.

The court was told the children pleaded with their father to stop; however, he pushed them aside and continued his violent attack.

Prosecuting, Diana Karamicov told the court the children ran into the house in tears and called their grandparents.

They arrived a short time later to find their daughter on the ground surrounded by blood.

“When I was holding Joanne in my arms, I heard a gurgling noise," Joanne's father said in a victim impact statement.

“This gave me a sense of hope that she would live.

“Even though I had checked her pulse and there was none, it just gave me something to hang on to.

“It was a false hope that I could hang on to during the horror."

The court was told the couple's two children, now aged 11 and 12 years old, watched their father kick their mother in the head as she lay injured on the ground.

Ms Karamicov said the children screamed for their father to stop, but he pushed past them and went into the house, where he found a hammer.

“He returned back to where Ms Penglase lay and, whilst holding the hammer in both his hands, used repeated forceful blows to strike her to the head and face region," Ms Karamicov.

“Upon seeing this, the children ran back into the lounge room, crying and hugging each other while standing in front of the fire. They told themselves that it's all going to be all right."

Ms Penglase was described as a doting mother, sister, friend and confidant.

Her sister-in-law Tania Meharry said in a victim impact statement that the family's lives would never be the same.

“My in-laws are now former shadows of themselves. No parent should have to go through the loss of their child, but to lose Joanne the way they did and see what they saw will haunt them for the rest of their lives."

Ms Penglase was married to her husband for 14 years; however, they separated in early 2005 after a violent domestic dispute.

Penglase, a mechanical fitter, was working in WA but frequently returned to Koondrook to visit the family.

The court was told he had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and had been drinking for almost 12 hours before the attack.

Justice Paul Coghlan told the victim's family they had shown great strength throughout the ordeal.