Tess Debrincat

**Tess Debrincat** (April 12, 1982 – May 24, 1987) was a five-year-old girl living in Quakers Hill, Sydney, Australia when she was killed at home during a drive-by shooting.

## Events

### Life and death

Tess Melissa Debrincat was born on April 12, 1982 to Emmanuel and Rita Debrincat.

On Sunday, May 24, 1987, a shotgun blast was fired at the home of Mr Olsen on Hillcrest Road, Quakers Hill in Sydney, Australia. No one was hurt.

Shortly after the first shooting, at 7:40 p.m., five-year-old Tess was helping her parents set the table for dinner when she suddenly screamed and collapsed. Her head and heart had been struck by shotgun pellets. The pellets had been fired through the front door.

### Reward for information

On July 17, 1987, the New South Wales Government offered a $50,000 reward for information about Tess' death. The offer was approved by the Minister for Police, Mr Paciullo, because exhaustive police investigations had failed to solve the crime. The Government also offered a potential pardon to any accomplice to the crime who gave information.

Nearly two weeks later on July 29, the New South Wales Government doubled the reward to $100,000, making the reward only the second time that amount had been offered by the government. New South Wales Minister for Police, Mr Paciullo said "I'm doubling the reward to again bring to the public's notice that we need their help. The police inquiries have come to a dead end."

### Glenn Bessant, Michael Valancic and Wayne Attard

Three men were charged with causing Tess' premature death: Glenn Bessant, 26, Michael Valancic, 29, and Wayne Attard, 31. Police alleged that Attard had arranged with Bessant and Valancic to fire a shotgun at the Debrincats' home. It was also alleged that Attard had organised a stolen vehicle and had supplied firearms to Bessant and Valancic for the attack. Attard has also allegedly paid the two men with heroin. All three men denied the charges.

Attard was released on a bail of $445,000 when he appeared in Westmead Coroner's Court on October 27. Attard's barrister said was a lack of direct evidence against his client produced in court by the police. He said Attard would comply with all bail conditions issued by the court. Magistrate Derrick Hand ordered that a $45,000 cash deposit be lodged for bail, with two properties being used as surety. Attard, Bessant and Valancic were due to appear in court again on December 3.

Unlike Attard, Valancic was not granted bail. Magistrate Derrick Hand said he believed Valancic was unlikely to appear in court if bail was granted, and he held fears for the safety of witnesses alleging to have seen him that night.

At Westmead Coroner's Court on November 4, prosecutor Sergeant Allan Ezzy told the court that Michael Valancic, a paraplegic, admitted to being in the stolen vehicle but denied involvement in the shotgun attack which killed Tess. The prosecutor said witnesses had seen two men, one in a wheelchair, leaving the car in Blacktown later that evening.

The court was told that Valancic drove the vehicle while Bessant fired shots into the Debrincats' home. The prosecutor said Bessant, in his record of interview, had said Valancic was able to drive using a stick.

Charges against Wayne Attard were dropped on November 19. It was reported by *The Canberra Times* that Attard "will sue for malicious prosecution."

Valancic was eventually allowed bail when it was granted by the New South Wales Supreme Court.

Bessant's legal counsel, Richard O'Brian, told Magistrate Hand there had been no evidence to suggest his client had intended to cause the death of Tess Debrincat or that anyone was likely to have been inside the Debrincat home at the time of shooting. The shooting occurred at 7:40 p.m.

Valancic's legal counsel, Janelle Ford, told the court there had been no admission by her client, or evidence he had been present at the home when the shooting occured.

### Trial of Glenn Bessant

Two years later on May 29, 1989, Bessant was on trial at Central Criminal Court. Tess' father Emanual told the court that the memory of that night would be "with me for the rest of my life".

Crown Prosecutor Peter Bannon, QC, told the court "The Crown does not suggest that Bessant and his associate went to Hillcrest Road with the specific intention of killing a five-year-old child. The Crown says that whether or not the fatal shot was fired with an intent to kill or an intent to seriously hurt, it undoubtedly was fired with reckless indifference to human life."

"Thus all those who were party to that act have committed murder — not only the person who pulled the trigger, but anyone acting in concert with him."

Noel Hewitt, who had been in prison at Central Industrial Prison with Bessant in May 1988, told the court that Bessant had told him the girl's death had been an accident. "I didn't go there to kill the girl. She happened to walk past," Bessant allegedly said.

On May 31, Glenn Bessant was sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter. The judge for the case, Justice Yeldham, told Bessant, "You are wicked and dangerous in the extreme. You are indeed an evil person. Your record is a bad one. You are a larrikin and a thief." He said the maximum penalty of life imprisonment was reserved for the worst cases of manslaughter. "This case falls precisely in that category."

### Afterwards

It was reported by Inspector Adrian Dick, former chairman of the Reward Evaluation Committee, in January 1990 as having said that an informant was paid the $100,000 reward in full.

On November 7, 1991, Wayne Attard was charged for a second time over Tess' death. He was charged with manslaughter, supplying heroin and possessing a shortened firearm. He was granted $70,000 bail and the matter was adjourned to December 9 for mention.

Glenn Bessant served twelve years in prison and was released on parole in 2001.

Tess Debrincat is buried at Pinegrove Memorial Park in the Sydney suburb of Minchinbury. Her grave's epitaph reads "dearly loved, sadly missed[;] God's little angel".

### Maitland train station assault

Twenty-four years after Tess' death, Glenn Bessant, 49, assaulted two women at Maitland train station (168 km from Quakers Hill) around 2 a.m. on October 29, 2011. It was heard at Maitland Local Court that Bessant had been swearing at the two women as they were waiting for a train.

When one of the women told him there was no reason to swear Bessant responded: "I'm going to rip off your c\*\*\* and eat it with my teeth. I'm going to bite it and rip it apart." Then Bessant raised his right fist and tried to punch one of the women in the head but instead hit her hand.

The other woman pushed him in the back and Bessant told her, "I'll rip your throat out." He then grabbed her by the throat, digging his fingers into her neck.

The two women ran to the station master's office and took refuge. Bessant then jumped onto the tracks and yelled, "I'm going to kill you, you're going to bleed."

Eleven months later on August 6, 2012, Bessant attended Maitland Local Court where he was to be sentenced for the assault and two other matters. After a luncheon adjournment Bessant didn't return to court. Warrants were issued for his arrest. No further information has been found.

## News

*For news articles on Tess Debrincat, see here.*

## External links

* Death registration: Tess Melissa Debrincat (14080/1987) • New South Wales Government
* Tess Melissa Debrincat (1982-1987) • Find A Grave

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tess Melissa Debrincat (1982-1987) • Find A Grave
2. ↑ Death registration: Tess Melissa Debrincat (14080/1987) • New South Wales Government
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 30 May 1989: Father haunted by memory of shooting • The Canberra Times
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 1 Jun 1989: Life for Debrincat killer • The Canberra Times
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 30 Jul 1987: Double reward in NSW murder case • The Canberra Times
6. ↑ 18 Jul 1987: $50,000 reward offer for Tess murder lead • The Canberra Times
7. ↑ 17 Oct 1987: Three on murder charge • The Canberra Times
8. ↑ 28 Oct 1987: Man gets bail for $445,000 • The Canberra Times
9. ↑ 5 Nov 1987: Man used stick to drive car, bail hearing told • The Canberra Times
10. ↑ 20 Nov 1987: Tess murder charges against man dropped • The Canberra Times
11. ↑ 10 Dec 1987: Two will be tried for girl's killing • The Canberra Times
12. ↑ 23 Aug 2002: Rewards in NSW • The Sydney Morning Herald
13. ↑ 8 Nov 1991: Man charged again over girl's death • The Canberra Times
14. ↑ 19 Nov 1991: In brief: Manslaughter • The Canberra Times
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 7 Aug 2012: Man does a runner from court • The Maitland Mercury