Homicide Case Study - the Simon Gittany Murder Case

1014CCJ Homicide Case Study

Assessment 1

Hayley Zeller S5131762

Dr Danielle Reynald

Online – Discussion Board

Word count –

Case Study: The Simon Gittany Murder Case

What type of homicide is featured in this case?

The homicide committed in this case is an unlawful murder in conjunction to be more specific intimate partner homicide. (Ashcroft, 2004). This type of homicide is the killing of a spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. It was evident that Simon Gittany and Lisa Harnum had an intimate relationship because they were engaged and living together at the time of the incident. This specific chosen case of R v Gittany (2013), Lisa Harnum was killed by Simon Gittany and he was sentenced to 18 years. The judge, McCallum clearly stated that she was confident that Simon Gittany had killed Lisa Harnum by through insufficient evidence and that he killed her through the act of rage after an argument and during his rage he had carried her over to the balcony and dropped her from 15 stories high, in which caused instant death. (Patridge), 2013)

What are the main characteristics of the offender?

Simon Gittany is a Caucasian male of Lebanese heritage. He was raised in the Sydney suburbs, in a large and stable family and is one of 6 siblings. At the time of the murder of Lisa Harnum, Simon Gittany was unemployed. (Australian Legal Information Institute, 2014) Simon Gittany had quite a criminal history before he murdered Lisa Harnum (He was 38 years of age). While he was just 18 years of age he was convicted of an offence of assault which caused physical harm and was then released on ‘good behaviour’. (AustLll, 2015) At 21, he was convicted of two offences of receiving stolen property and assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty with cruel wounding. He had become agitated and bit Detective Constable Bristow on the ear which resulted in him removing a part of it. (AustLll, 2015) He was sentenced to a total of 2.5 years to be served by periodic detention. According to Mr Gittany’s psychologist Ms, Robilliard’s report it had been obvious that he has a controlling, dominating and abusive personality. Simon Gittany had undergone a personality test that showed vastly high and statistically substantial scores of depressive and dependent personalities. (NSWSC 49, 2014 paragraph 56).