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Murder of Stacey Mitchell

SOLVED2006Perth, Western Australia, Australia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Stacey Mitchell was born in Dorset, England, on 17 June 1990 and emigrated to Australia at the age of 10. At 16, she ran away from her family home and went to stay with Valerie Parashumti, then 19, and Jessica Stasinowsky, then 21.

According to the account of the murder, Stasinowsky accused Parashumti of flirting with Mitchell. Parashumti reportedly planned to kill Mitchell to prove to Stasinowsky that she was not attracted to her. On the evening of 18 December 2006, the three had been drinking together when Parashumti struck Mitchell with a concrete block and Stasinowsky strangled her. Mitchell's body was found in a bin shortly after the killing.

The two women were tried at the Perth Supreme Court. Parashumti's lawyer stated she had a severe personality disorder and had grown up with an abusive father. Both women pleaded guilty, and in 2008 both were sentenced to strict security life imprisonment with a 24-year minimum term. Stasinowsky later appealed her sentence, but the appeal was unanimously rejected by the Western Australia Court of Appeal. A third person who lived with them, David Ross John Haynes, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment as an accessory; he had known of the plan to kill Mitchell but did not intervene.

In 2009, it emerged that the two women had continued their relationship in prison, and Parashumti was subsequently moved to a separate facility.

Separately, in 2014, 20 charges against Stasinowsky that pre-dated the murder were dropped.

Key facts

Victims
Stacey Mitchell
Date
2006
Location
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2006-12-18

    Mitchell is bludgeoned with a concrete block and strangled with a dog chain by Jessica Stasinowsky and Valerie Parashumti; her body is found in a wheelie bin.

  2. 2008

    Stasinowsky and Parashumti are sentenced to strict security life imprisonment with a 24-year minimum term at Perth Supreme Court; David Ross John Haynes is sentenced to two years' imprisonment as an accessory.

  3. 2009

    It is discovered the two women are continuing their relationship in prison; Parashumti is moved to a separate prison.

  4. 2014

    20 charges against Stasinowsky that pre-dated the murder are dropped.

Best coverage

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People

  • Jessica Stasinowsky

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced in 2008 to strict security life imprisonment with a 24-year minimum term; appeal rejected by WA Court of Appeal.

  • David Ross John Haynes

    CONVICTED

    Convicted as accessory to the murder; sentenced to two years' imprisonment for knowing of the plan and failing to act.

  • Valerie Parashumti

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced in 2008 to strict security life imprisonment with a 24-year minimum term.

  • Stacey Mitchell

    VICTIM

    British-born 16-year-old killed on 18 December 2006 in Australia.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

-31.9505, 115.8605

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Stacey Mitchell, a 16-year-old British-born girl living in Australia, was bludgeoned and strangled on 18 December 2006 by a couple she had known for three days, Jessica Stasinowsky and Valerie Parashumti, who were both convicted of her murder.
Where did the murder happen?
Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Who was convicted?
Jessica Stasinowsky (Pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced in 2008 to strict security life imprisonment with a 24-year minimum term; appeal rejected by WA Court of Appeal.), David Ross John Haynes (Convicted as accessory to the murder; sentenced to two years' imprisonment for knowing of the plan and failing to act.), and Valerie Parashumti (Pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced in 2008 to strict security life imprisonment with a 24-year minimum term.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Western Australia

Sources

  1. Murder of Stacey Mitchellwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — news.com.aunews · news.com.au · 2026-07-10
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — BBC Newsnews · BBC News · 2026-07-10