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Memories haunt every day

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 19 October, 2011 - 12:03 PM
A woman died in a horrific incident in Bayswater

THURSDAY: One of the Good Samaritans who tried to save a woman, set on fire by her partner at a Bayswater petrol station says he still lives with the horror.

Bayswater man David Warrick Hopkins was yesterday sentenced to life with a 30-year minimum, convicted of pouring  petrol on his de facto, Nicole Miller, then stabbing her and setting her on fire.

Beau Fleming was at that service station in June of last year and tried to save the woman.

He's told Neil Mitchell it still haunts him.

Listen to his interview in full below.

WEDNESDAY: A man who taunted his de facto partner after he poured petrol on her, stabbed her and set her on fire at a suburban petrol station has been jailed.

In sentencing 42-year-old Bayswater man David Warrick Hopkins, Supreme Court Justice Betty King said so many people were traumatised by Hopkins' actions and said it was amongst the worst kind of viciousness and sadistic behaviour a court was ever likely to see.

Hopkins, who was on a cocktail of drugs and in a rage for no apparent reason, poured petrol over mother of three, Nicole Miller, before he stabbed her and set her on fire at a Bayswater service station in June last year.

Hopkins swore at and taunted Ms Miller and used a knife to stop witnesses from trying to help her after she crawled from the car screaming in pain and asking for help.

Hopkins eventually fled when driven at by another car and when police found him nearby he tried to suck gas from a pipe and cut an electrical cord to give himself a shock.

He was jailed for life with a 30-year minimum after he pleaded guilty to one count of murder.

IMAGE: The scene on the day of the murder.

Image

PHOTO GALLERY: Tragic story in Bayswater

PLAY: The dramatic arrest of the man captured on 3AW

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Blog comments Your Say

  • Poor baby. Any thoughts for the off duty Police officer who was hung, drawn and quartered because he happened to be going past, and decided to do the right thing and stop? He was hung out to dry by overpaid pen pushers with absolutely no idea of the seriousness of the situation. My advice to ANY Police officer who approaches a situation off-duty, KEEP DRIVING, IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

    Gus Thursday 20 October, 2011 - 7:15 PM

  • thank god there are people like beau in this world. it takes someone extraordinary to do what he did that day. selfless. set the perp on fire. an eye for an eye.. 30 years is not enough. BRING BACK CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. is there a stronger case for it ???

    andrew norton Thursday 20 October, 2011 - 10:17 AM

  • I'm not an advocate of capital punishment, but this story almost changes that. To think he will get a chance at parole one day astounds me. An American court would give him 125 years!

    JR Wednesday 19 October, 2011 - 8:53 PM

  • Why is a minimum term set? Life should mean life with NO possible chance of release!

    Pam B Wednesday 19 October, 2011 - 7:43 PM

  • This is a case for bringing in the death penalty. You can still live back in society after 30 years (life sentence) in jail. Once your convicted and on death row you will never get out.

    hawkeye Wednesday 19 October, 2011 - 6:15 PM

  • No prison sentence is sufficient for what this scum of the earth did. He should be put to DEATH. No ifs. No buts. No maybes.

    What a sick society we live in, where it's perfectly okay to murder innocents in the womb but not okay to terminate the life of a monster like this.

    Woe to them that call good evil, and evil good!

    Davo Wednesday 19 October, 2011 - 4:09 PM

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