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Court Upholds Cohrs Murder Conviction, Cuts Sentence to 27 Years

Appeal judges ruled the earlier punishment was outside the usual range for similar murders.

Overview

  • Victoria’s Court of Appeal kept Paul Cohrs’ murder conviction in place and resentenced him to 27 years with a 20-year non-parole period.
  • With about seven and a half years already served, his first chance at parole now falls in late 2038.
  • The appeal court said the original 30-year term was manifestly excessive compared with similar cases and noted his diagnosed delusional disorder reduced his moral blame.
  • A jury in May 2024 rejected his mental-impairment defence, and in October 2024 he received 30 years for killing his mother in Victoria, with the separate killing of his brother in NSW not counted in that sentence.
  • In the brief hearing delivered by video link, Cohrs was seen thanking his lawyers after the judgment.