The father of murder victim Mersina Halvagis has called on Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu to stop the man responsible for murder from exploiting the legal system. Convicted serial killer Peter Dupas, convicted for a second time of the Halvagis murder last year, has appealed, though he has not given any grounds for the action.
In a letter to Mr Baillieu, published in The Saturday Age last week, Mr Halvagis wrote “as one father to another I ask you to help us … we are tired of watching this man use the system to drag this case out.” It had been estimated that the appeal could be delayed up to two years, but after reading the letter Mr Baillieu acted to short-circuit the process.
“I have spoken to the Attorney-General and asked him to request the Victorian Government Solicitor work in collaboration with the Office of Public Prosecutions to expedite having the case heard as quickly as possible,” Mr Baillieu said. Dupas is serving three life sentences with no minimum terms for the murders of Miss Halvagis in 2007, Nicole Patterson in Northcote in 1999 and Margaret Maher in Somerton in 1997. He is also a suspect in three unsolved murders. After being convicted of Miss Halvagis’ murder Dupas appealed and the verdict was set aside.
The High Court then rejected his move to avoid a retrial. A second jury convicted him of the murder last year. Dupas has asked Legal Aid Victoria to pay for his appeal but funding is likely to be refused on the grounds that it is a pointless exercise. Mr Baillieu has contacted Mr Halvagis and pledged his government’s support. Mr Halvagis said Mr Baillieu had said “he feels for my family and promised to try to help”. “I just hope we can finally put an end to this.” Mr Halvagis said it was vital that Dupas should not be allowed to drag out the court process. In the family’s victim impact statement tendered in court, Mersina’s brother, Nick, said of Dupas: “Go away and never be heard of again. Then rot in hell.” In his letter to Mr Baillieu, Mr Halvagis wrote: “When will it finish? Will it be 14 years, 15 years or will it be longer?”
