SA: Snowtown killers lose bid to appeal

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2004
SA: Snowtown killers lose bid to appeal

Australia's worst serial killers -- JOHN JUSTIN BUNTING and ROBERT JOE WAGNER -- have
lost their bid to appeal against their murder convictions.

In the South Australian Court of Criminal Appeal, Justice JOHN PERRY has dismissed
their grounds for appeal.

In an 86-page ruling Justice PERRY has said BUNTING and WAGNER -- who have been sentenced
to life imprisonment for the so called bodies-in-barrels killings -- have received a fair
trial according to law.

WAGNER's lawyer PAUL CUTHBERTSON wouldn't comment outside court on the prospect of
having today's decision reviewed by the full bench of the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Last year BUNTING and WAGNER were convicted of 11 and 10 murders respectively and sentenced
to life imprisonment without parole.

Their convictions related to the discovery of eight bodies in six barrels in a disused
bank vault at Snowtown, north of Adelaide, in May 1999, and three other bodies discovered
elsewhere.

AAP RTV la/sl/jo/rp

KEYWORD: SNOWTOWN APPEAL (ADELAIDE)

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.