The daughter of a disabled woman beaten to death by her partner confronted her mother's killer in an Australian court, describing him as 'pure evil'. Robert Karl Huber, 69, was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison for the murder of Lindy 'Kimmy' Lucena, 64, in Ballina, New South Wales, on 3 January 2023.
Ms Lucena's daughter broke down in tears as she told the NSW Supreme Court how her mother's body was left almost unrecognisable after the attack. 'The only thing that pushed me forward was knowing how scared and how weak she would have been in those last moments of her life, or any other time this monster harmed her,' she said.
The court heard that Huber had consumed half a bottle of gin and taken sedatives before launching a sustained assault on Ms Lucena, who had cognitive and physical impairments following a stroke in 2021. Justice Stephen Rothman found that Huber had exploited her vulnerabilities and that the beating was a 'substantial cause of death', combined with coronary heart disease and a small amount of methadone.
Huber had a long criminal record dating back to 1988 and had breached a domestic violence order taken out to protect Ms Lucena. He gave her a black eye on Boxing Day 2022. The judge described Huber's account of the assault as 'palpably false', noting evidence that she was struck at least five times. Huber will be eligible for parole in October 2032.
