The outcome of a prosecution for 11 counts of murder before Latham J in the New South Wales Supreme Court was reported in the Australian newspaper of 2 August 2013 at p. 8.

Facts

Roger Dean was a male nurse in a nursing home. One night he lit two fires in the nursing home in an attempt to conceal his theft of a large quantity of prescription drugs. He assisted one resident away from the fire but abandoned the others.

Trial

Mr Dean pleaded guilty to all charges.

Determination

The Court described the offender’s crimes as “heinous, atrocious and greatly reprehensible”. In Latham J’s assessment, neither his plea of guilty nor his ingestion of a large quantity of drugs prior to his crimes, reduced his culpability.

Mr Dean was sentenced to imprisonment for life.