Keep killers behind bars

The former husband of a murdered sex worker wants the teenagers convicted of killing her to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

Jay-de Marko, 50, said he could not believe two young men would ``do something so horrible'' to other human beings.

He wants them to suffer as much as the families left behind to pick up the pieces after the murder of two prostitutes found dumped in a crocodile infested river outside Darwin 12 months ago.

``They've taken my only family and don't deserve to see theirs on the outside again,'' he said.

Mr Marko was married to one of the victims, Phuangsri ``Poncee'' Kroksamrong, for 12 years.

The other victim, Somjai ``Noi'' Insamnan, worked as a prostitute to support her young son in Thailand.

The women were thrown alive into the crocodile-infested Adelaide River in March last year.

Their killers, Phu Ngoc Trinh and Ben William McLean, both 19, were last week convicted of murder and jailed for life, which means the pair will spend a minimum of 25 years behind bars.

``They should never be let out of jail,'' Mr Marko said.

``All their stories about the Hells Angels and Asian crime gangs were a pack of lies and they know it.''

Mr Marko met Ms Kroksamrong and her two young children in Western Australia nearly 20 years ago.

They married in 1986 and opened a restaurant in Melbourne.

After falling on hard times financially, Ms Kroksamrong became a sex worker. They moved to Darwin in the early 1990s.

Mr Marko left Darwin in April 1998 after his wife became romantically involved with a former client, but the pair remained close up until her death.

``I've had a hard life but I've never stolen, robbed or killed anyone, so any excuses the defence lawyers come up with before sentencing about disadvantaged childhoods isn't worth anything to me,'' Mr Marko said.

He said Trinh dealt drugs and owed money to criminals all over Darwin.

``McLean might not have killed her, but they were both there, and if he didn't do it, he could have done something to stop Trinh,'' he said.

``They chose the road they are going down.''

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Mon, 28 Mar 2005
Source: Northern Territory News
Author: Greg McLean
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au