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A convicted murderer has lost a court battle to retain the $500,000 house he bludgeoned his estranged wife to death in.
Twisted killer Adrian Basham, 46, killed Samantha Fraser inside her Phillip Island home in 2018, before staging the scene to look like a suicide.
Basham, who was ordered in February this year to serve at least three decades in prison for his heinous crime, had been fighting a legal battle to retain the $545,000 property the couple bought together in 2012 to help bankroll an appeal against his conviction.
Twisted killer Adrian Basham (pictured), 46, killed Samantha Fraser inside her Phillip Island home in 2018, before staging the scene to look like a suicide
At the time of her death, Ms Fraser (pictured) had finally escaped Basham’s abusive clutches and was set to give evidence against him after he was charged with repeatedly raping her in 2014 and 2016
Adrian Basham pleaded not guilty to murdering his estranged wife. A jury didn’t believe him
But he was given short shrift by Justice Lesley Taylor on Tuesday afternoon who ordered that the house be forfeited by the state.
‘It was a premeditated murder that occurred against a background of family violence,’ the judge said, according to Nine Newspapers.
‘The offending itself consisted of Ms Fraser being subjected to a savage beating in which she sustained 41 separate blunt force injuries.
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‘The forfeiture of Seagrove Way is proportionate to the nature and gravity of the offending.’
Basham, who appeared via video link and represented himself, told the court he wanted to keep items inside the house which he claimed belonged to him but the Judge shut him down.
‘Mr Basham I’m going to stop you there, this is not a matter I can assist you with,’ Justice Taylor said.
‘This is not a matter that is before me.’
Basham’s father James also lost his fight to retain the $15,000 black 2018 Kawasaki Ninja ZX1000 motorbike his son used as a getaway vehicle after committing the crime.
After they are forefeited by the state, the proceeds of both items are likely to go to Basham’s three children and his elderly former in-laws who are now raising them.
At the time of her death, Ms Fraser had finally escaped Basham’s abusive clutches and was set to give evidence against him after he was charged with repeatedly raping her in 2014 and 2016.
Ms Fraser told friends before her death that she was ‘feeling stronger and looking forward to a new life’.
Police had alleged Basham lay in wait for two hours while Ms Fraser dropped their kids off at school before sneaking into the garage when she returned.
She was found dead in the garage on July 23 2018 – the day after her 38th birthday.
The alarm was raised when she failed to pick up her children from school.
