Paul Grapsas : Tears echoed through the courtroom as the family of cherished father Paul Grapsas learned that his killer may be released back into the community in just five years.
Paul, aged 40, was returning from a late-night walk with his dog on September 14, 2023, when he encountered 20-year-old Bailey Clifford attempting to break into his car outside their Geelong residence.
Upon confronting him, Clifford drew a knife and stabbed Paul seven times, delivering a fatal wound to his upper back.
The young offender fled the scene, leaving Paul Grapsas to die alone in the gutter.
Hours later, his lifeless body was discovered by his wife Jessica, who was six months pregnant with their third child at the time.
Supreme Court Justice Rita Incerti condemned the act as “cowardly and reckless” before sentencing Bailey Clifford to eight years and six months in prison for manslaughter.
Sobs in Court as Paul Grapsas’ Killer May Walk Free in Just Five Years
Clifford will be eligible for parole after serving five years, though he has already spent over a year in custody awaiting sentencing.
There is nothing I can say or do that will bring Mr Grapsas back,” Justice Incerti said in court. “This sentence is not a reflection of the value of his life.
After the attack, Clifford phoned a friend in distress, admitting he had “messed up” and killed someone.
Despite his friend’s urging to surrender to police, Clifford refused and even attempted to evade arrest when officers located him four days later.
Justice Incerti acknowledged that Clifford, just 18 at the time, had panicked out of fear of returning to prison.
However, she emphasized that his actions caused deep trauma and heartbreak for Grapsas’ family, friends, and the wider Geelong community.
Family Devastated as Young Father’s Killer Receives Eight-Year Sentence with Early Parole Option
Mr Grapsas will never have the chance to meet his son,” Justice Incerti said. “He will miss the joy of watching his children grow up.
The judge strongly condemned knife-related violence, noting that it creates widespread fear and undermines the public’s right to feel safe in their own neighbourhoods.
However, she acknowledged that Clifford was a young man who had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident at the age of 16. Combined with years of substance abuse, this had significantly impaired his cognitive abilities and made his time in prison especially challenging.
Justice Incerti accepted that Clifford’s path to rehabilitation would depend heavily on his ability to avoid drugs and alcohol and to engage with the support offered by his family.
While she emphasized the importance of punishment, the judge also noted that Clifford’s young age and early guilty plea shifted the focus toward rehabilitation.
You will eventually return to the community,” she told him. “It is therefore in the community’s best interest that your potential for rehabilitation is fully supported, to minimize the risk of future offending.
As she handed down a maximum sentence of eight years and six months, with parole eligibility at age 24, sobs and gasps filled the courtroom.
Leave a Reply