An Ulverstone man who brutally murdered young mother Gabrielle Marshall while she was staying at her friend’s house in June 2021 has been sentenced to life in prison.
Colin William Drake, 37, fatally stabbed Marshall more than two years ago, just weeks after she had relocated to Tasmania from Queensland for a fresh start.
At the time of the murder, Marshall was staying with a friend in a supposed ‘safe house’ for domestic abuse survivors.
In the Burnie Supreme Court on Tuesday, Justice Tamara Jago described the murder as ‘intentional and purposeful’, with no apparent motive, believing it was either sexually motivated or simply driven by the desire to steal cigarettes.
The court heard how Drake broke into Marshall’s home in the early hours of the morning, armed with two knives, and stabbed her 17 times while she lay on a mattress on the lounge room floor.
A friend who heard Marshall’s screams called the police while barricading her own young children in a bedroom.
Drake initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea to guilty in September 2023.
At the time of the murder, Drake was living in an assisted living facility where he was supposed to be supervised, just 230 metres away from where he killed Marshall.
He was not allowed to leave the residence without a support worker and had a curfew of 11pm.
Drake had a troubled upbringing and had been in and out of mental health facilities prior to committing the murder.
Justice Jago characterised Drake as a ‘lifelong danger to the community’ and sentenced him to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.
