Brenda Hodge
Encyclopedia
Brenda Hodge was the last person to be sentenced to death
in Australia
. She was found guilty of murder
ing her de-facto partner in 1984 and was sentenced to death. Her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
.
in 1951 to Beryl Nanette MacKenzie. Her childhood was unhappy. She was frequently the victim of beatings by her alcoholic mother. Her brother, Danny constantly bullied her and grew up with numerous of her mother's partners. She claimed to have been sexually abused
as young as four, by a babysitter who would continue to sexually abuse her for nine more years. As a child she began skipping school.
In 1965, her mother left her stepfather and brother, Edd, and took her to live in Carlton
. Brenda got a job, but her mother began spending most of the money on alcohol. She took a job working on a farm, where she was happy at first, but left due to a dispute with the owner.
One night her mother sent her off with one of her male friends for the pub. After taking her to a park, he rape
d her, telling her her mother had allowed him to have sex
with her in exchange for alcohol money. After being sent to court, she was charged with being a 'neglected child' and placed into a reformatory in Melbourne
.
After escaping, she was sent between mental hospitals and reformatories, until her biological father contacted her, inviting her to live with him in Brisbane. She later found out he was an alcoholic too and pressured her into having sex
with him. Soon after she ran away and was soon put into a mental hospital. She was eventually released into a charity worker's care.
She started working in various places throughout Queensland
, eventually moving to Darwin
and eventually, Western Australia
. Brenda married a man named David Hodge in 1972, divorcing in 1977.
She became involved with a police officer, Peter Rafferty, while working in Leonora
in 1983. Their relationship was unhappy and plagued with several fights, due to his alcoholism and her depression. She decided to leave him.
After the incident, she stopped at a deli
and ordered a coke
. She went to a hotel and confessed the murder to a friend, who did not believe her. She later went to a lookout where she considered suicide. She then went to Kalgoorlie police station where she confessed to the crime.
was guilty simply because she 'showed no emotion' at her trial".
Her sentence was commuted to life in prison. She recalls "It didn't mean anything to me at the time; I still had this vague idea my life was already over, almost as though I was already dead..."
She was sent to Bandyup maximum security prison
where she remained until 1988, when she was transferred to Greenough Regional Prison
. In prison she began to study. She learnt to touch type and enrolled in English and Literature courses as well as a TAFE
trade apprenticeship in cooking. Becoming a model prisoner, she became friendly with parish priest and converted to Roman Catholicism while imprisoned.
After numerous appeals, she was paroled in 20 October 1995. She was contacted by her half-sisters in 2003 for the first time ever, not knowing she had any more family. She still keeps in close contact with them to this day.
She currently lives in Geraldton, Western Australia
. Her autobiography, WALK ON: The remarkable true story of the last person sentenced to death in Australia was published in 2005. She appeared on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton
in 2005 talking about her life for the first time in public.
Shortly after Brenda's sentence, Western Australia became the last state to remove the death penalty for murder.
Capital punishment in Australia
Capital punishment has been formally abolished in Australia. It was last used in 1967, when Ronald Ryan was hanged in Victoria. Ryan was the last of 114 people executed in the 20th century and prior to his execution Queensland and New South Wales had already abolished the death penalty for murder....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She was found guilty of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing her de-facto partner in 1984 and was sentenced to death. Her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
.
Early life
Brenda was born Dorothy Brenda White in VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1951 to Beryl Nanette MacKenzie. Her childhood was unhappy. She was frequently the victim of beatings by her alcoholic mother. Her brother, Danny constantly bullied her and grew up with numerous of her mother's partners. She claimed to have been sexually abused
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
as young as four, by a babysitter who would continue to sexually abuse her for nine more years. As a child she began skipping school.
In 1965, her mother left her stepfather and brother, Edd, and took her to live in Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
. Brenda got a job, but her mother began spending most of the money on alcohol. She took a job working on a farm, where she was happy at first, but left due to a dispute with the owner.
One night her mother sent her off with one of her male friends for the pub. After taking her to a park, he rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d her, telling her her mother had allowed him to have sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
with her in exchange for alcohol money. After being sent to court, she was charged with being a 'neglected child' and placed into a reformatory in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
After escaping, she was sent between mental hospitals and reformatories, until her biological father contacted her, inviting her to live with him in Brisbane. She later found out he was an alcoholic too and pressured her into having sex
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
with him. Soon after she ran away and was soon put into a mental hospital. She was eventually released into a charity worker's care.
She started working in various places throughout Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, eventually moving to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
and eventually, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Brenda married a man named David Hodge in 1972, divorcing in 1977.
She became involved with a police officer, Peter Rafferty, while working in Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
in 1983. Their relationship was unhappy and plagued with several fights, due to his alcoholism and her depression. She decided to leave him.
The killing
On the day of the murder, Brenda was packing her belongings to leave. Peter began taunting her and yelling. She claims in her book, her memory of the incident is blurred. She claims only remembering aiming the gun at him and firing. She claims she does not know what was on her mind or why she did it and that there are moment of blackness in her memory. After being shot, Peter retreated to the shed, where Brenda followed, shooting him twice more, killing him.After the incident, she stopped at a deli
Delicatessen
Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
and ordered a coke
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
. She went to a hotel and confessed the murder to a friend, who did not believe her. She later went to a lookout where she considered suicide. She then went to Kalgoorlie police station where she confessed to the crime.
Sentencing
In August 1984, she was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to hang by Justice Pidgeon. On being sentenced to death she recalls "(I felt)... Numb, detached. I felt nothing. I believe I am not the only person to have had that experience. Many people thought Lindy ChamberlainLindy Chamberlain
Alice Lynne Chamberlain-Creighton was at the centre of one of Australia's most publicised murder trials, in which she was convicted of killing her baby daughter, Azaria. The conviction was later overturned.-Early life:...
was guilty simply because she 'showed no emotion' at her trial".
Her sentence was commuted to life in prison. She recalls "It didn't mean anything to me at the time; I still had this vague idea my life was already over, almost as though I was already dead..."
She was sent to Bandyup maximum security prison
Bandyup Women's Prison
Bandyup Women's Prison is located in the northeastern rural suburb of West Swan, Western Australia. Prior to its construction, the female prisoners were at Fremantle Prison, which was overcrowded and offered women limited opportunities....
where she remained until 1988, when she was transferred to Greenough Regional Prison
Greenough Regional Prison
Greenough Regional Prison is an Australian prison located in Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia.-External links:*...
. In prison she began to study. She learnt to touch type and enrolled in English and Literature courses as well as a TAFE
Technical and Further Education
In Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
trade apprenticeship in cooking. Becoming a model prisoner, she became friendly with parish priest and converted to Roman Catholicism while imprisoned.
After numerous appeals, she was paroled in 20 October 1995. She was contacted by her half-sisters in 2003 for the first time ever, not knowing she had any more family. She still keeps in close contact with them to this day.
She currently lives in Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
. Her autobiography, WALK ON: The remarkable true story of the last person sentenced to death in Australia was published in 2005. She appeared on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton
Enough Rope
Enough Rope with Andrew Denton is a television interview show originally broadcast on ABC Television in Australia...
in 2005 talking about her life for the first time in public.
Shortly after Brenda's sentence, Western Australia became the last state to remove the death penalty for murder.