A woman has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for the brutal assault and eventual death of her de facto father-in-law. Danielle Birchall, aged 49, showed no visible emotion as she received her sentence from Justice Christopher Beale in the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday.
The incident occurred on November 11, 2020, when Birchall unlawfully entered the home of 87-year-old Kon Kritikos in Coburg. Armed with a weapon, she assaulted him and then left him for dead. Birchall later returned to the scene with her partner, George Kritikos—Kritikos’ son. Upon their arrival, they found him on the floor in a pool of blood, in a semi-conscious state, moaning in distress.
When asked who had attacked him, Kon Kritikos managed to whisper “afti, afti, afti,” which means “she did it” in Greek, indicating Birchall’s culpability. He was subsequently taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries two weeks later.
Despite her plea of not guilty, a jury convicted Birchall of murder in November 2024. Justice Beale described the crime as exceptionally violent and handed down the lengthy prison sentence. Birchall will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years of her sentence.