Suitcase killer Daniel Holdom’s makes bid to change his guilty plea over the murder of a toddler

Suitcase killer Daniel James Holdom has been handed two life sentences for the murder of a mother and her toddler after making a last-minute bid to change his guilty plea over the death of the child. 

Holdom pleaded guilty in July to the December 2008 murder of his girlfriend of two months, Karlie Pearce-Stevenson, 20, and Khandalyce Pearce, aged two-and-a-half, about four days later.

Ms Pearce-Stevenson’s remains were found in the Belanglo State Forest in 2010, but were not identified until her daughter’s remains were discovered in 2015 in a suitcase dumped beside a South Australian highway.

In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, Justice Robert Allan Hulme imposed life sentences for both murders.

At the start of the hearing Holdom’s barrister, Thomas Woods, said he had received instructions ‘a matter of minutes’ earlier that ‘he wishes to withdraw his plea of guilty to count two’ – being the child’s murder. 

Holdom pleaded guilty in July to the December 2008 murder of his girlfriend of two months, Karlie Pearce-Stevenson (left) and Khandalyce Pearce (right) about four days later

‘I would ask that Your Honour not proceed to deliver sentence remarks today and set a date, if possible, for a hearing application,’ Mr Woods told Justice Robert Allan Hulme.

Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC opposed the application.

‘The Crown submits that your honour should proceed to sentence him on both charges and there is nothing to stop him making an application in the Court of Criminal Appeal,’ he said.

The judge briefly adjourned proceedings before refusing Holdom’s application.

Holdom’s barrister said he had received instructions ‘a matter of minutes’ earlier that ‘he wishes to withdraw his plea of guilty to count two’ – being the child’s murder

Khandalyce’s remains were discovered in 2015 in a suitcase dumped beside a South Australian highway