NSW: Teenage girl jailed for stabbing murder

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-1998
NSW: Teenage girl jailed for stabbing murder

By Margaret Scheikowski

SYDNEY, DEC 3 AAP - A teenage mother was jailed for at least 11 years today for murdering a
17-year-old girl whom she had taunted about her father's phobia of frogs.

Supreme Court Justice Peter Newman said the victim, Simone Hill, had been lured to a flat
on the promise she was to be repaid a debt of $30 or $35.

Elizabeth Ann Cox, 19, of no fixed street address in East Maitland, the mother of a
four-year-old child, pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Hill, who died on December 22 last year
four days after being stabbed in the stomach.

In sentencing Cox to a maximum of 16 years, Justice Peter Newman found she had not intended
killing Ms Hill but by wounding her with a knife intended really serious bodily harm.

"This is of course a very tragic case; a very young person has lost her life, another very
young person has pleaded guilty to her murder," he said.

The judge said that on December 18, Cox and other young people collected their Social
Security benefits before drinking at a hotel and then drinking and taking drugs at a woman's
East Maitland flat.

Cox's sister, who also was at the flat, owed Ms Hill either $30 or $35.

"A plot was hatched to lure Simone Hill to the flat, the lure was a promise of repayment of
some of the money owed," the judge said.

But when she arrived she was told no money was available.

As Ms Hill was leaving, Cox said: "Make sure you don't step on any frogs on the way to the
car".

The judge said apparently Ms Hill's father had a phobia related to frogs and some exchange
then took place before Ms Hill got into the car.

While the next events were not clear, the judge said at some stage Cox had armed herself
with a sharp knife and after further verbal exchanges Ms Hill got out of the car when she was
stabbed.

Another plot was hatched to cover up Cox's actions, but the story about Ms Hill eating corn
and having a knife in her hand was "quickly exposed".

The judge found the alcohol and drugs consumed by Cox had acted as inhibitors and made her
aggressive, but while this was an explanation it was not an excuse.

He said Cox had been a good student, but left school when she became pregnant at 15 and
then "entered into a life which could be described as being a member of the underclass".

She was a loving mother, had undertaken educational programs in jail and had been
progressing well and her rehabilitation prospects were not bleak.

"Despite the favourable objective circumstances ... the fact remains this is a very serious
crime indeed," Justice Newman said.

"The use of knives in episodes of violence is a matter which this court takes very
seriously indeed."

AAP mss/sb/cjh

KEYWORD: COX

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