A woman whose flirtatious text messages and promise of drugs lured a man to remote bushland in Victoria’s Gippsland region and ultimately his death could be free as early as next month.
Newborough man Jarrad Lovison, 37, disappeared on April 16, 2020, and his body was discovered partially decomposed in bushland in the Moondarra State Park, about two hours east of Melbourne, five weeks later.
Samantha Guillerme, 26, pleaded guilty to Mr Lovison’s manslaughter late last year, maintaining she believed Mr Lovison was only going to be severely beaten rather than allegedly murdered, and was sentenced for her role in the alleged plot in Supreme Court on Thursday morning.
Mr Lovison’s father, who the court heard has lost both of his children, could be heard yelling audibly in an interview room next to the court after Guillerme’s sentence was handed down.
Two men who are charged with Mr Lovison’s murder are due to face trial in late April, with both pleading not guilty to the charge of murder.
Justice Michael Croucher said acrimony had developed between Mr Lovison and one of the co-accused over a woman, Mr Lovison’s former partner, who the alleged murder victim continued to speak with and had sex with on at least one occasion.
Justice Croucher said before Mr Lovison’s death Guillerme boasted that she could lure Mr Lovison anywhere because he “wanted to f***” her.
The court heard that prior his death Mr Lovison told a friend he was “hopefully going to get some” from Guillerme that night, and that the pair had been exchanging text messages.
Justice Croucher said that after agreeing to meet up with Mr Lovison at a remote location between the towns of Moe and Walhalla, Guillerme and the alleged victim chatted briefly and smoked cigarettes before the two co-accused’s, who had been hiding in bushes, jumped into the car with guns.
Mr Lovison’s phone was thrown away and Guillerme was told to drive to a track about 500m away, the court heard.
The Crown case is that after Guillerme had left, Mr Lovison was either administered or forced to take a lethal quantity of the drug GHB.
The court heard that shortly after 4:30am, having arrived in the car, one of the co-accused told Guillerme she was “better off not to ask questions.”
Justice Croucher said Mr Lovison, notable for his seven-foot stature, was known as “Lovo” and lived with his father and stepmother in the town of Newborough.
He sentenced Guillerme to three-and-a-half years prison, with eligibility for parole after 15 months.
With her time already spent in custody, Guillerme will be eligible to walk free next month.
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