A man has been sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison for fatally stabbing his former partner during a court session characterized by extreme violence. Paul Gary Turner, aged 43, was convicted by a Supreme Court jury for the murder of Sarah Thomas, a 33-year-old mother of their two children, in December 2016. The tragic incident occurred while the couple was engaged in a legal dispute over custody of their seven-year-old and four-year-old kids. Turner unexpectedly brandished a kitchen knife, hidden in a lever arch file, and viciously attacked Thomas, inflicting six stab wounds, including a fatal strike to her carotid artery.
The prosecution emphasized Turner’s deliberate choice of a public setting for the heinous act, describing it as a display of “outrageous violence” aimed at making a bold statement. The chilling episode unfolded at the Joondalup courthouse in Perth, Australia, where Turner assaulted Thomas as a court officer was about to enter the room. Surveillance footage captured Turner’s calm demeanor before the meeting and his disoriented state afterward.
During the trial, Turner claimed memory loss regarding the incident, attributing it to dissociative seizures resulting from a head injury sustained in 2015. Despite his defense pleading his mental state, the jury rejected it and found him guilty of murder. Turner was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years.
In a separate tragic incident, Michael James, aged 45, fatally stabbed Bradley Hollis, aged 35, with a kitchen knife during a confrontation at his residence in March 2025. The altercation arose due to jealousy over James’ ex-girlfriend, Zara Tolley, who had started a relationship with Hollis after her split with James. The attack occurred while James’ children were asleep upstairs. James was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years in prison, along with additional charges related to possessing a bladed article and assaulting Tolley.