Codey Herrmann jailed for 36 years for rape and murder of Aiia Masaarwe

Aiia Masaarwe’s killer Codey Herrmann has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for the rape and murder of the 21-year-old Arab-Israeli student.

The 21-year-old will must serve at least 30 years before being eligible for parole.

Herrmann attacked Ms Masaarwe after she disembarked from a tram in Bundoora on January 16, hitting her with a metal pipe at least 13 times before raping her and setting her body alight.

Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said Herrmann’s actions had shown “utter contempt” for Ms Masaarwe’s dignity.

“Not only did you take away Ms Masaarwe’s most precious right, her right to life, but you deprived her close knit family of a sister and daughter,” she said in her sentencing remarks.

Justice Hollingworth said there was evidence the rape and murder was an “unsophisticated opportunistic attack, rather than a carefully planned crime”.

Psychiatrists who assessed Herrmann noted he has a “severe personality disorder” and showed signs of “chronic emotional disconnection” as well as a substance abuse disorder.

Forensic psychiatrist Andrew Carroll told the court Herrmann’s mental health issues and personality disorder were “necessary but not sufficient elements in (his) offending”.

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