Overview

• A three-judge panel dismissed Sturgess’s appeal on Tuesday, leaving his 2024 jury verdict intact.
• Prosecutors told jurors they were not alleging premeditation, asserting the single, severe blow from a 1.8 kilogram sledgehammer showed intent.
• Police found Jacqueline Sturgess face down in a pool of blood at the former shared home in Narangba in April 2020.
• The defence argued prejudice from relationship-violence evidence, inadequate hearsay warnings, and faulty directions on intent, but Justice Soraya Ryan said any error would not have changed the verdict.
• Judges highlighted Sturgess’s post-incident admissions, while the life term imposed in 2024 stands with parole eligibility after 20 years, reduced to 16 years and two months with time served.