Robert Lowe

Case record: Robert Lowe

Background

Robert Arthur Selby Lowe was born in England in 1937. He attended boarding schools both in England and in New Zealand. His godfather was the Minister of Edinburgh’s Presbyterian Church and future Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II. Robert Lowe was described as a well-spoken, well-respected salesman, and a Presbyterian Church Elder, Junior Cricket Coach and Sunday school Teacher. He was well liked and admired among his peers and by his family.

The case materials stated that Lowe was also described as a Pathological Liar, Exhibitionist, Kidnapper, Paedophile, Rapist and Murderer.

Lorraine Lowe (née Sangster) was described as having an extremely religious upbringing and as having only escaped the confines of “The Exclusive Brethren” at twenty-nine. In 1970, she prayed for a friend for Christmas. She met Robert Lowe after the service and thought her prayer had been answered. The materials stated that Lorraine Lowe knew little of her husband’s activities and nothing of his past until the murder of Sheree Beasley made them “so glaringly clear that she could ignore them no longer.”

The offence

Sheree (Mandile) Beasley was born on February 25, 1985. Her short life ended on June 29, 1991 at age six years.

On June 29, 1991, a neighbour reported to Shane and Kerrie Ludlow that she had found Kerrie’s daughter Sheree’s bicycle abandoned. Sheree had been out several times that day on her bike to the local milk bar and to check to see if the mini golf was open. Shane ran out into the street, which was described as the beginning of a long haul for not only Sheree’s family, but for Lorraine Lowe, Sheree’s teenage sons Benjamin and Jonathan, and a large police contingent.

The materials stated that Robert Arthur Selby Lowe forced Sheree into his Blue Toyota Corolla Hatchback (a company car) and drove off. It was stated that Lowe first asked her if she wanted to go with him, but as her response was “no way”; he got out and piled her into the car himself. The materials stated that Sheree was still wearing her pink “stack hat.”

The case materials described competing accounts of events. Lowe was described as a habitual liar, making it difficult for the police to piece together the course of events that led to the discovery of Sheree’s badly decomposed body much later. At first, Lowe denied any involvement whatsoever and went on several times to change his story and to hypothesise on what the course of events could have been if he had been involved. The materials stated that on tape, Lowe described how he drove up and asked the girl if she wanted a ride home and how she had come willingly with him, and that she appeared upset and incoherent and told him he was going the wrong way when he tried to find where she lived.

The materials stated that Lowe said Sheree became more upset when he said he couldn’t get off the freeway and would have to drive a little further. It stated that Lowe said he pulled up on the side of the road and tried to calm her down, but she started to choke. Lowe said he tried to help her but was unable to. It also stated that Lowe said, in a state of panic, he ruled out taking her to the hospital because they would undoubtedly need to know the circumstances under which she arrived there. The materials stated that Sheree died.

The materials stated that Lowe drove to the back of “Arthur’s Seat”, near Rosebud where he and his wife had gone pineconing recently, and laid Sheree to rest in a filthy drain. The materials stated that Lowe removed her helmet and clothing, as he said he could not fit her in without doing so, and included the following verbatim quotation from Lowe:

“I tried to see if she would fit there and it looked very tight. I had her clothes off and I said a prayer. I put her there gently…. Very gently, slid her in, pushed her with my hands. Pushed her in a bit further then covered the whole drain.”

The materials stated that much of Lowe’s story was proven to be fiction. Sheree’s friend, with whom she was riding, testified that a man had forced her into the car and that she had not gone willingly. The materials stated that although Lowe had said he had left Sheree wearing her underwear, she was found without underpants on.

Investigation

The case materials described that the most experienced detective on the working to find Sheree’s killer said he had never understood the concept of evil until he met Robert Arthur Selby Lowe.

The materials stated that neighbours and police alike suggested that perhaps Sheree had meandered off to play with one of her friends and that all were sure she’d bound through the door at any moment.

The materials stated that it took literally years to corroborate what had happened. It was also stated that Lowe’s story was initially inconsistent and difficult for police to piece together.

The case materials described Lowe’s wife as becoming involved through her testimony and through interaction with police. Lorraine Lowe testified that her husband was obsessed with the details of the Karmein Chan murder and that he prayed for her both at church and at home. It stated that he was similarly obsessed with the Azaria Chaimberlain case and had often claimed the police were “always going after good church-going people”.

The materials stated that it was later discovered that Lowe had written to Michael Chaimberlain, who in turn wrote to Lowe’s Psychologist Margaret Hobbs and asked her to advise her client not to write again. It stated that Lowe tried to visit the Chaimberlains while on a trip but found them not home.

The materials stated that Robert Lowe had been in “therapy” with Margaret Hobbs, Psychotherapist, for several years. It stated that Margaret had been successful in treating exhibitionists who displayed similar traits to those that Lowe had been unable to suppress most of his life. The materials stated that Margaret suggested at one point to Lowe himself, that he had modelled “this” on the Chaimberlain case. It stated that she said he had the missing child, the missing clothes and the religious background. Lowe’s response to this was “yeah but Michael and Lindy stuck together”.

Against her ethical status, the materials stated that she felt compelled to assist the police in bringing Lowe to justice and that her ethics were questioned several times throughout Lowe’s trial. It stated that she had seen or spoken with the police at least once a month since being approached en agosto de 1991. It stated that she made an anonymous phone call to Crimestoppers after a discussion with Robert that made her think he was involved in Sheree’s murder. The materials stated that it was Margaret who finally gave the police what they had been after. It stated that Robert had left with her a copy of his “confession”, and she did not believe she had a choice in handing over the written document. It stated that her need to do so was circumvented when Lowe was caught the same day, shoplifting a packet of M&M’s with his copy of the document in his possession.

Arrest and committal

On the last day of his committal hearing, Robert Arthur Selby Lowe pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping and murder of Sheree Beasley. He was committed to stand trial.

Trial

On October 27, 1994, three years and four months after Sheree was murdered, six men and six women were empanelled to sit in judgement of him.

On November 30, 1994, the jury brought in a unanimous verdict.

Lowe was found guilty of kidnapping Sheree and was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. He was then charged guilty with the murder of Sheree Beazley (Mandile) and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The materials stated that his files were marked never to be released, the harshest penalty available in Australia.

The judge passed the sentences with the emphatic statement:

“and Mr Lowe, Life means life!”

Sentencing

Lowe received a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment for kidnapping Sheree. He was then sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

The case materials stated that his files were marked never to be released, the harshest penalty available in Australia.

Prison and witness statements

The materials stated that Lowe confessed to two other prisoners that he had abducted Sheree. It stated that he told them that Sheree’s pink tracksuit had been dumped in a rubbish bin at the Mt Waverley Shopping Centre as it had been covered in sperm. The clothing was never found.

The materials stated that fellow prisoner Peter Reid said Lowe had proudly boasted that he had cleaned the driveway under the car after cleaning up Sheree’s blood. Reid was stated to have said that Lowe had learned his lesson this time, and next time he would use Valium.

The materials also stated that Reid testified that Lowe had told him that Sheree had in fact choked while being forced to perform oral sex on him, and that Lowe avoided these words by calling them “dirty acts”.

Other details

The materials stated that Lowe had been branded “rogue and vagabond” by the courts of New Zealand in 1964.

Criminal history (as described in the case materials)

• In 1956, Robert, then 19, stole a car in England and tried to run down a policeman. He was fined 21 pounds.
• Between 1959 and 1965, Lowe was arrested and charged in New Zealand on counts of indecent assault on a male and theft. For these he received fines.
• Also between 1959 and 1965, he faced two charges (three and a half years apart) in New Zealand with wilful and obscene exposure for which he served a six month prison sentence.
• After moving to Australia, and more peculiarly since he married, he had been interviewed on more than a dozen occasions and had appeared in court on charges of indecent behaviour, loitering for sexual purposes, wilful and obscene exposure and theft.

Timeline

• February 25, 1985 — Sheree (Mandile) Beasley was born.
• 1937 — Robert Arthur Selby Lowe was born in England.
• 1956 — At age 19, Lowe stole a car in England and tried to run down a policeman; he was fined 21 pounds.
• 1959 to 1965 — Lowe was arrested and charged in New Zealand on counts of indecent assault on a male and theft (fines were imposed).
• 1959 to 1965 — Lowe faced two charges in New Zealand with wilful and obscene exposure (three and a half years apart); he served a six month prison sentence.
• 1964 — Lowe was branded “rogue and vagabond” by the courts of New Zealand.
• 1970 — Lorraine Sangster prayed for a friend for Christmas and met Robert Lowe after the service.
• June 29, 1991 — A neighbour reported finding Sheree’s bicycle abandoned; Sheree’s disappearance began the subsequent search.
• October 27, 1994 — Six men and six women were empanelled to sit in judgement of Lowe.
• November 30, 1994 — The jury returned a unanimous verdict; Lowe was found guilty of kidnapping and sentenced to fifteen years, then charged guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• December 1994 — Lowe was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Outcome

Lowe was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment for kidnapping Sheree and to life imprisonment for the murder of Sheree Beazley (Mandile). The judge stated: “and Mr Lowe, Life means life!” The materials stated that Lowe’s files were marked never to be released.