THE mother of Stephanie Scott has spoken of the joy she gave her family and of the pain they will always feel from her life being snatched away in horrific circumstances by a murderer.
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Merrilyn Scott bravely read a victim’s impact statement at a sentencing hearing for Marcus Stanford, who has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact of 26-year-old Ms Scott’s murder.
Stanford’s twin brother has pleaded guilty to the April 5, 2015, murder and will be sentenced in October.
Standing in the Leeton courthouse with her husband, Robert, by her side, Mrs Scott said Stephanie represented all that was good about humankind.
“She possess all the qualities we value, and was a source of pride, joy and inspiration to our family, her many friends, and all who knew her,” Mrs Scott said.
“Losing Stephanie has turned our lives upside-down.
“What a tragedy, what a waste.
“It has affected every hour of every day.
“There have been many wakeful nights, haunted by visions no family should have to know.
“A day has not passed that we have not shed a tear for our beautiful girl, and for all that has been taken from her.”
Mrs Scott spoke of her family’s sinking hearts to learn that Vincent Stanford had mailed her daughter’s rings and drivers licence to his brother as “trophies”.
“The vision of them being removed from Stephanie’s gentle, loving hands sickens us and fills us with despair,” Mrs Scott said.
Agreed facts tendered to the court revealed that Vincent Stanford left Ms Scott’s body in the boot of her car overnight before taking her to Cocoparra National Park, covering her with branches, pouring petrol onto her lower torso and setting her alight.
According to the facts, Stanford came across Ms Scott as she prepared lessons at Leeton High School on Easter Sunday last year, April 5.
He pulled Ms Scott into a room where he sexually assaulted her and stabbed her in the neck with a large knife.
After burning Ms Scott’s body, Stanford drove her car to Wamoon and walked the eight kilometres back to Leeton.
Over the next few days, he went about disposing of Ms Scott’s personal belongings in and around Leeton and Griffith.
He mailed two of her rings and her drivers licence to his twin brother, Marcus, in Adelaide.
He was arrested on April 8 after police found items linked to Ms Scott at Stanford’s Maiden Street, Leeton, home.
Merrilyn Scott’s full victim impact statement
What a sad and terrible document to have to write. It is with difficulty that I begin, as a second statement will be necessary in the future, and repeating myself will be unavoidable. Knowing that the person who has caused us so much added grief has the right to read this is also very confronting.
As with everything we have had to face in the past 16 months, we do this for the love of our precious Stephanie.
I write on behalf of our shattered family, and of Aaron, who is, and probably always will be, too deeply affected to put into words the depth of his grief and sorrow.
We had an amazing girl, and she is gone. Losing Stephanie is a tragedy that has impacted us all very deeply. We all had a close relationship with Stephanie, as she was the communicator in our family.
We are destined to a life unfulfilled – how can we be fulfilled when part of us is missing.
When Stephanie completed her degree we bought her a ring of her choosing, as we had done with her sisters. Her engagement ring was of Aaron’s choosing, presented to Stephanie as a symbol of their love and commitment to each other. It held the promise of a lifetime together, and all that that would entail.
Two little rings. How significant they were in life, and now in death.
Even as we searched, Stephanie’s fate was known by a second person. Both were part of something so monstrous, so cruel and heartless, devoid of any of the qualities that make us moral human beings. Opportunities to assist the police were squandered, and now we must all suffer the consequences.
The police went to great lengths to try and recover Stephanie’s rings. They could see that having them returned to us would be a great help, when so much had been taken away. We were driven to the desolate place where Stephanie had been left, betrayed, violated and burnt beyond recognition. It was confronting to see the ground, charred and disturbed where the police had used a metal detector to try and locate her precious rings amongst the ashes.
It seemed implausible that rings that could be described in such detail could not be accounted for and later our suspicions were confirmed. The rings had been sent to South Australia with instructions to ‘keep them safe’.
These treasured little rings that had meant so much had become trophies. The vision of them being removed from Stephanie’s gentle, loving hands sickens us and fills us with despair.
Now they can never be returned. As instructed they were sold to the lowest bidder, an act so mercenary, so full of greed and so damning. Even more callous and contemptible, the proceeds were used for a flight to visit Silverwater prison.
Our hearts sank when we learnt that Stephanie’s drivers licence had also been sent as a trophy. It was removed from her purse, an act I find infuriating and disgusting. It was distressing to learn that it was photographed, and even after seeing this most important and personal photograph of our daughter, there was no sign of conscience, no thought to assist the police. With a sinister, frightening and dangerous bond, they conspired to conceal the truth, brought undone by their greed and arrogance. Stephanie’s licence has still not been located.
Stephanie represented all that is good about human-kind. She possessed all the qualities we value, and was a source of pride, joy and inspiration to our family, her many friends, and all who knew her.
Losing Stephanie has turned our lives upside-down. What a tragedy! What a waste! It has affected every hour of every day. There have been many wakeful nights, haunted by visions no family should have to know. A day has not passed that we have not shed a tear for our beautiful girl, and for all that has been taken from her.
It is still hard to imagine a future without Stephanie in it. She was so full of life and fun. She was truly one of the special ones.
Our children have all had difficulty returning to their work. We are all angry. We have no tolerance for triviality. There is no peace. Grief is exhausting, and sadness follows us like a cloud.
I find listening to music too difficult, I am impatient and want to lash out. I am tearful, have difficulty concentrating and am constantly distracted. I no longer look forward to solitude. I have missed appointments, suffered ill health and weight loss. I no longer enjoy past-times, I find going to the shop alone too hard, and I have little interest in the future. These are supposed to be the golden years, but for us they are not. I just want to spend my time with family and friends.
Through all these difficult and heart breaking months our children have handled themselves with courage and grace. We have had to grieve in the public eye, and it has been a test for all of us.
I also acknowledge and thank my husband for his courage, his strength and his love and patience.
As our second year of birthdays, anniversaries and special family occasions without Stephanie passes, we steel ourselves for the months and years ahead. There will be no end to the sorrow we feel, and we can never make sense of losing our beautiful girl. She had only good in her heart and was so loved by us all.