Breaking: Men who killed Irma Palasics during 1999 burglary jailed

Men who killed Canberra grandmother Irma Palasics during 1999 burglary jailed The two men found guilty of manslaughter over the 1999 cold case killing of Irma Palasics have both been jailed for more than a decade. Joseph Vekony and Steve Fabriczy, now in their 70s, were linked to the violent home invasion in Canberra by DNA left on a milk bottle and a water container in the couple's fridge. Today, in the ACT Supreme Court, Fabriczy was sentenced to 16 years and six months in jail, while Vekony was sentenced to 20 years, due to his involvement in an earlier burglary at the couple's home. The pair was arrested after an elaborate undercover police sting using the controversial 'Mr Big' technique. They were both found guilty of manslaughter earlier this year. Mrs Palasics and her husband Gregor had been bashed, bound and gagged in their home, as they settled in for the evening. The thieves ransacked the house, stealing $30,000 from a hidden compartment in the kitchen and fleeing, leaving the 72-year-old dead and her husband injured. Earlier this week, Mrs Palasics's grandson said the family had been suffering through a "life sentence of grief" since her brutal death. In sentencing, Justice David Mossop said Vekony was "almost certain to die in jail" because he had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. The trial The trial went for nearly eight weeks, with the jury deliberating on charges of murder or manslaughter, as well as a raft of other charges related to the home invasion, including assaults and theft. At the start of the trial, Fabriczy pleaded guilty to involvement in the burglary, but always denied any involvement in the violence. The jury found otherwise, convicting both men of the violent attacks, but stopping short of the charge of murder, finding both guilty of manslaughter. During the undercover police operation that led to his arrest, Fabriczy made disclosures, though he always stopped short of telling anyone what actually went on in the house. Vekony told no one anything, insisting he was never there. The defence suggested caution was needed in sentencing because no one knew who did what in the house. But prosecutors called for the maximum penalty of 20 years, saying it was at the worst end of the charge of manslaughter. Loading