A RENEWED bid for freedom by one of the killers of former Wagga woman Janine Balding has disgusted her family and evoked a defiant vow by parliamentarian Daryl Maguire.
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Bronson Blessington, who was 14 when he raped and murdered Miss Balding with four other males in Sydney in 1988, has applied for clemency under the NSW Governor’s royal prerogative of mercy to escape his life sentence.
The Governor, General David Hurley, will act on the advice of NSW Attorney-General, Gabrielle Upton.
“Let me tell you, she will be told what my reaction is – he (Blessington) should never see the light of day,” Mr Maguire said.
“He was jailed for life and that is where he should stay; the community decided that years ago.”
Miss Balding’s brother, David, said he was disgusted by Blessington’s application and the publication of a school photograph of the brutal killer that portrayed an image of an innocent youngster.
“I’ll show him the same mercy he showed my sister,” Mr Balding said.
“He should not be out of jail until he is dead.”
Mr Maguire said he would also speak with the Governor personally in Wagga this week to oppose Blessington’s audacious bid, lodged by his lawyer, Peter Breen.
“The Balding family does not deserve this from a piece of garbage that took the life of a beautiful girl,” Mr Maguire said.
“I say this to the boy ‘accept your fate’.”
“He had a choice, he made a bad decision, now he has to pay for it.”
Mr Maguire and the Balding family have fought several attempts by Blessington and other members of his group to get out of their life sentences.
“This creep just takes opportunity after opportunity, but no one in their right mind will listen to him,” Mr Maguire said.
“No one agrees with him except Peter Breen.”
Mr Balding said he would not make any submissions to Ms Upton or the Governor.
“I don’t think it is necessary, I think there will be enough public outrage about it,” Mr Balding said.
It is not known when Blessington’s application will be considered by the Governor.
Asked to comment on the application, a spokeswoman for Ms Upton released a statement saying the application was being considered “according to the usual protocol”.
Blessington’s life-time incarceration has been condemned by the United Nations, which has described it as cruel, inhuman and degrading due to the fact he was so young when he committed the horrendous killing.
But Mr Maguire said that even as a young teenager, Blessington would have been aware what he was doing was very wrong.
“He walked down that path, he made a choice,” Mr Maguire said.
Currently, Blessington, now aged in his 40s, can only be released if he is in imminent danger of dying or so incapacitated he no longer can harm others.
