Leeton school cleaner Vincent Stanford, 25, has pleaded guilty to the murder of Stephanie Scott, 26, in the NSW Supreme Court today.
Stanford pleaded guilty to the charges of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent and murder via video link from from Sydney’s Long Bay jail.
His plea comes just six weeks after Marcus Stanford, his twin brother, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the murder in Griffith Local Court.
A popular drama and English teacher, Ms Scott disappeared on April 5, 2015, just a week before her wedding to doting partner Aaron Leeson-Woolley.
She visited the school grounds to ensure her relief teacher would have tools required to fill-in while she would be on her honeymoon.
It was Easter Sunday - and the last day she would be seen alive.
An email sent from her work computer at 12.59pm would be her last known contact.
While her family and fiance begged for information, Ms Scott's disappearance was more sinister than they could have ever believed.
Police soon discovered that Mr Stanford was also at school on the public holiday. He was not rostered on to work.
Then, drops of Ms Scott's blood was found in Mr Stanford's car.
The janitor was arrested and charged after police discovered he had taken photos of her burnt remains.
Soon unraveled a horrific story, where Mr Stanford pursued Ms Scott before raping her, murdering her and disposing of her body. The location of Ms Scott's body was discovered using a triangulation method based off her murderer's phone.
Her body was found the night before she was due to be married.
At her funeral, Mr Leeson-Woolley wore his fiancee's favourite colour - yellow.
Her father, Bob, urged the hundreds of attendees to remember his girl for the bright, bubbly person she was - not for the disgraceful way her life ended.
"Stephanie was a bubbly, bright, witty, intelligent fun-loving girl," he said.
"[She] has obviously impacted on many people here to today and our wishes for the future are that that will continue in your minds, you remember her as the girl she was and I'm sure wherever she is now that she would wish that to be the case and maintain that as you remember her, as that great little girl she was."
Top Comments
I hope the parole board take into account psych assessments about this seriously dangerous offender. His deviance is off the scale. That poor woman and what she endured.
How DARE you impose yourself & your sickness on her, rape her & take her life to satisfy some need of your own. You selfish piece of shit. My thoughts & prayers are with Stephanie, her fiancé, family & friends. I hope you burn in hell forever you piece of crap.