NSW: Whelans still aching

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2006
NSW: Whelans still aching

By Paul Mulvey

SYDNEY, Aug 9 AAP - The Whelan family is satisfied - but is still aching.

When Bruce Burrell was sentenced to life today for the murder and kidnap of Kerry Whelan
in 1997, there were no whoops of joy or cries of "Yesss!".

Her husband Bernie and children Sarah, Matthew and James raised discreet smiles and
cast their thoughts to the next phase of their grief.

"The big unsolved question is where is she?" Sarah said outside the NSW Supreme Court.

"Obviously, laying her to rest is more important than the sentence."

The life term was what the family wanted and what they believe Burrell deserved but
in no way did it bring them any joy.

"We're satisfied but we're not happy. We'll never be happy because we've lost Kerry,"

Mr Whelan said.

Burrell sat impassively throughout Justice Graham Barr's judgment, as did Mr Whelan
and his family.

Even outside court, Mr Whelan remained calm until he broke down when he spoke of eventually
finding his wife's body.

He stopped to compose himself and clear his tears as he said his family would not give
up the search for her remains.

"Hopefully, one day my children and I will be able to lay her to rest," he said.

Police have searched for nine years and have combed Burrell's scrubby property near
Goulburn and the dozens of disused mineshafts and ravines nearby for any trace of Mrs
Whelan who was last seen in Parramatta in Sydney's west on May 6, 1997.

Mr Whelan, 68, could not bring himself to comment on the prospect of his former employee
one day revealing what he had done with her body.

Burrell was once a friend to Kerry and Bernie Whelan.

The advertising salesman and his wife shared weekends away with his boss. They went
on shooting trips together and played tennis. The Whelans went to Burrell's 1985 wedding.

But, after Mr Whelan was forced to retrench Burrell from Crown Equipment in 1990, he
ran into financial difficulties and put in place his kidnap plan for what Justice Barr
described as his "cold desire to enrich himself".

If his desire was cold, his demeanour in court today was resigned.

In a dark suit, white shirt and brown tie, the thickset Burrell, 53, looked to his
wife as he was brought up for sentencing and whispered "You OK?" They both nodded they
were.

At no stage did he exchange any glance with his former friend.

He stood with his hands in front of him as Justice Barr sentenced him to life and did
not flinch, but nodded to his wife as he was taken down.

But it will never be over for the Whelans.

"We're still going to miss her and think of her every day, that doesn't change," Sarah said.

AAP pmu/hn/cjh/de

KEYWORD: BURRELL SCENE

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