Killed teen's parents tell of loss
The heartbroken parents of Quinn De Campe have spoken of their devastation after the three teenagers who killed their only child in an unprovoked and unrelenting bashing were put behind bars for long terms of detention yesterday.
Shelley and Vaughan De Campe hope the teenagers, who admitted killing the Duncraig schoolboy while stealing a paltry $175 to buy cannabis and alcohol, choose to become better people.
While no sentence could be long enough for the grieving couple, Children's Court president Judge Denis Reynolds said immediate terms of 6½ years detention were the only option to send a loud message that violence had serious consequences.
In an interview with _The West Australian _ and copies of the victim impact statements submitted to the court, Mr and Mrs De Campe give an emotional insight into their overwhelming feelings of loss, guilt and pain.
They also describe the ripple effect of the shocking circumstances of Quinn's death, which has left some of the young people he left behind with nightmares and a fear of staying home alone.
"My heart has been broken, as have the hearts of our ever-supportive family and friends, our community and Quinn's," Mrs De Campe said in her statement.
"I miss him desperately. Sleeping is hard, breathing is hard, going to work is hard, housework is impossible, cooking and shopping is hard."
Mr De Campe told _The West Australian _ that it was difficult to describe the nightmare of turning off Quinn's life support the day after he was beaten on December 22.
He said no sentence could compensate for the loss of their son as a result of senseless violence, which the couple would never comprehend. "Quinn was not only my son but my best friend and companion, though I wish I told him that more often," Mr De Campe said in his statement.
During a two-hour sentencing hearing, Judge Reynolds said the three teenagers had killed an innocent young man after he was lured to an isolated location and outnumbered.
The teenagers faced maximum life terms after pleading guilty to charges of manslaughter and aggravated armed robbery.
A fourth teenager was sentenced to 3½ years detention after admitting a charge of aggravated armed robbery. The admissions to the lesser charges came at the start of a scheduled murder trial last month.
The four teenagers, who sat through most of the hearing with their heads bowed and eyes downcast as their own and Quinn's families cried in the gallery, hatched a plan to rob the 16-year-old after concocting a cannabis deal to get him to a secluded spot at a Balga park.
One of the boys known to Quinn pretended to be robbed by the other three and fled.
The trio, then aged 15 and 16, demanded Quinn hand over his belongings and when he refused, the group launched their attack.
The bashing culminated in one of the boys kicking Quinn in the head so hard, it left an imprint on his skull and the attacker with a limp.
"While the attack was of relatively short duration, it was not momentary," Judge Reynolds said. "The three of you were unrelenting."
The attackers left Quinn bleeding and seriously injured in what was described by Judge Reynolds as a callous disregard for his welfare.
