Daniel Leslie Miles

Miles was serving an 18-year jail sentence for the 1990 murder of his childhood sweetheart, Donna Newland, 16, a crime he committed at age 18.

While in jail he befriended a sex worker, Yolande Michael, 29. In late July 1999 he escaped from jail and spent the night with her.

The following day he found her in bed with another man at her home in Sefton and he fatally stabbed her.

In July 2002 the Crown successfully appealed his 19-year minimum, 25-year maximum sentence and he was sentenced to life without parole.
 

           
Donna Newland dead at 16                                                                                              Daniel Leslie Miles

"The death penalty should be imposed for very serious crimes like that of "abduction, rape and murder". It should especially apply to the abduction and murder of children.
 Daniel Leslie Miles has now been convicted of the murder of Yolande Michael while on the run from a NSW prison. He had escaped from prison where he was serving time for the murder of 16 year old Donna Newland."

A man who committed a second murder while on the run from a Sydney jail had his sentence increased to life yesterday after the appeal court found he had a "dangerous propensity" to kill again.

Daniel Leslie Miles, 29, murdered Yolanda Michael, 29, who had befriended him while he was in jail. He killed her after escaping from the John Moroney Correctional Centre, at Windsor, where he was already serving 18 years for killing his childhood sweetheart, Donna Newland, in 1990.

At the subsequent hearing into Ms Michael's murder, Justice Peter Hidden rejected the Crown's submission for a life sentence, finding Miles had a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation despite the "chilling" similarities between the murders.

He was jailed for a minimum 21 years.

But yesterday, following an appeal against the leniency from the Director of Public Prosecutions, two Court of Criminal Appeal judges quashed Justice Hidden's sentence and jailed Miles for life.
 

"In my view this case is one in which the sentence imposed at first instance displayed a leniency of such a magnitude that error should be assumed," Justice Ian Carruthers said.

He said it had been proven beyond any doubt that Miles should not be a candidate for parole.

The court found the features of Miles's murders were of "very great heinousness" and fell into the very worst category of killings.

A more severe penalty was warranted to demonstrate retribution, deterrence and protection of society, the judges ruled.

On hearing the decision yesterday, the family of Ms Michael stood up in court and cried out: "Thank you, thank you for that, you don't know what it means for our family. It's all over for him now."

Outside court Ms Michael's father, Frank, said: "I am happy he has not got a chance to murder anybody else."

Miles is the 21st person to be jailed for life.

 

 

 

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