Prosecutors are appealing for a heavier sentence for convicted Canberra murderer Jayscen Newby, who stabbed an unaware Frankie Prineas to death on 11 January 2020 for being on a Tinder date with his ex. Prior to the crime, Mr Prineas had never met Newby’s ex.

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold argued that Newby was given too large a discount on his sentence for his plea of guilty and cooperation in the court process.

“He mutilated an innocent person to terrify his domestic partner,” he said.

“It was an assertion of dominance.”

Newby was sentenced to 20 years in jail and a 10-year non-parole period, even though the case against Newby was overwhelming, with an eye witness and DNA evidence. The court has since reserved its decision.

Mr Drumgold said the judge had largely left parole up to the Sentence Administration Board, when that should have been a decision of the courts. He also stressed that Newby had not shown remorse and his sentence should reflect the seriousness of the crime he committed.

ACT Chief Justice Helen Murrell described the murder scene, at a home in Charnwood in Canberra’s north, as a “bloodbath”, the ABC reported.

A post-mortem found Mr Prineas had sustained “37 wounds in a frenzied attack” that involved a stabbing in the heart leading to the collapse of both lungs.

Newby, who reportedly went back home asking his mother to wash his clothes before going out, had previously stalked and threatened his former partner, who has been the main eye-witness for the case.

The court had heard the distressed triple-0 call made by the woman (who was no longer in a relationship with Newby) immediately after the attack.

“I think he’s dying, can someone come… he was attacked with a knife,” the caller said.

“I can’t look,” she said, when being asked to put pressure on the wounds.

“His arm is like, open.”

Chief Justice Murrell refused to allow images of the scene to be shown in court, citing concerns about trauma for staff and others present.

“The [images] of the scene show what can only be described as a bloodbath,” she said, making a point that there was no valid reason for the attack.

Meanwhile, during the sentencing the court heard that, in a conversation with his mother from Canberra’s jail, Newby laughed as she read an ABC story to him about the killing.

When she asked why he was laughing he said: “because it was hilarious”.

Newby’s lawyer, David Campbell disputed the claim that the case against his client was overwhelming, saying it could have been contested, possibly on grounds of provocation, but that his client chose to plead guilty.